Dry and hazy Hari Raya ahead

Blurry skies: A thick cloud of haze blanketing Kuala Lumpur.

PETALING JAYA: Malaysians may have to brace for a dry and hazy Hari Raya as less rain is expected in the coming days.

Malaysian Meteorological Department (MMD) spokesman Dr Hisham Mohd Anip said this was due to the emergence of three continuous typhoons in the region – Neoguri, Rammasun and the current Typhoon Matmo.

“The typhoons drag moisture from the air in the surrounding areas, leading to the dry spell,” he said yesterday.

Typhoon Matmo is reportedly on course to strike Taiwan just after Typhoon Rammasun hit China and the Philippines, leaving over 112 people dead.

Dr Hisham said the typhoon was not a threat to Malaysia but it may cause high waves over the sea.

“The current hot weather is also compounded by the haze from Sumatra in Indonesia,” he said.

A check on the Meteorological Service Singapore website revealed that the number of hotspots in Sumatra had increased steadily since July 16.

As of yesterday, over 200 hotspots were found on the island.

The number of hotspots detected via images by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) -18 satellite rose to 50 yesterday from 40 on Saturday.

Dr Hisham said there was also a chance of another typhoon in the region and if it formed, Malaysia might have to expect an even longer period of dry weather.

“The period could stretch on for another two weeks,” he said.

The air quality around the nation also took a dip as five areas recorded unhealthy readings as of 11am yesterday.

The areas – Port Klang, Kuala Selangor, Seberang Jaya 2 in Perai, Seri Manjung in Perak and Kg Air Putih in Taiping – all recorded unhealthy levels of between 100 and 200.

Of the five areas, Port Klang had the highest air pollutant index of 139 at 9am, based on readings on the Department of Environment’s website.

Thirteen out of 52 areas recorded good air quality, while the remainder recorded moderate levels.

The readings in several areas veered close to the borderline of the unhealthy level, including Petaling Jaya (89), Shah Alam (98), Bakar Arang in Sungai Petani (91) and Tanjung Malim (90).

On horizontal visibility, the MMD said some cities and towns still had visibility of over 10km.

However, some areas encountered hazy skies like Butterworth (3km), Petaling Jaya (2.5km), Subang (3.5km) and Bayan Lepas (4km).