KUCHING: Hazy conditions have affected western Sarawak, with Kuching and Samarahan recording unhealthy air quality on Friday (Aug 7).
The air pollutant index (API) reading was 135 in Samarahan and 133 in Kuching at 10am.
Other parts of Sarawak recorded moderate API readings between 57 and 90.
An API reading of 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 moderate and 101-200 unhealthy.
In its haze update, the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) observed moderate to dense smoke haze drifting northwards from West Kalimantan into western parts of Sarawak on Thursday (Aug 6).
A total of 533 hotspots were detected in Kalimantan on Thursday, a sharp rise from 196 on Wednesday (Aug 5).
ASMC said dry conditions were expected to continue over many parts of the southern Asean region in the coming days.
"Areas experiencing prolonged dry conditions may lead to an escalation in hotspot and smoke haze activities.
"Under the expected southeasterly or southerly prevailing winds over the region, there is a continued risk of transboundary haze occurrences," it said.
