KUCHING: Hazy conditions returned to parts of Sarawak after rainfall last weekend brought some relief.
As of 9pm yesterday, eight areas in the state recorded unhealthy air pollutant index readings (API).
The highest was recorded at Serian at 168, followed by Sri Aman (165), Kuching (163), Samarahan (152), Sibu (151), Sarikei (150), Mukah (144) and Bintulu (113).
The state had recorded moderate API readings between 51 and 100 for most of Monday.
However, the API in Kuching and Serian exceeded the unhealthy level of 100 from Tuesday evening.
The Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) detected 1,080 hotspots in Kalimantan on Tuesday, nearly double the figure of 614 the previous day.
In its weather update yesterday, it said moderate smoke plumes were observed over west Kalimantan, drifting northwards into the western parts of Sarawak.
It also observed moderate to dense smoke plumes elsewhere in Kalimantan.
ASMC said dry conditions were forecast over many parts of the southern Asean region over the next few days.
“The hotspot and smoke haze situation may continue to escalate in fire-prone regions experiencing prolonged dry conditions, with a risk of transboundary haze occurrence,” it said.
On Tuesday, Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Douglas Uggah said cloud seeding plans would proceed as hydropower reservoir levels remained low despite the recent rainfall.
He said the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee was coordinating with the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) to assess suitable conditions for cloud seeding.
“We have a report from Sarawak Energy Bhd that the water level at hydro (reservoirs) is still quite low.
“Nadma will look at the circumstances to see when we can carry out the cloud seeding,” Uggah said.
Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) said humid weather over the past few days had helped ease the haze in the Klang Valley and Sarawak, but air quality could deteriorate again.
Its director-general Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip said hot and dry conditions were expected to return over the next several days as the country remained in the southwest monsoon season, which ends in September.
“The risk of haze remains as long as the southwest monsoon winds persist,” he said.
During the southwest monsoon, lower humidity contributes to reduced rainfall and more days without rain, he added.
Mohd Hisham said the country’s haze conditions were also being influenced by El Nino, which is currently moderate but is expected to intensify between October and December.
“These two factors combined are contributing to drier conditions and a higher risk of forest and peatland fires, which could trigger local and transboundary haze,” he told Bernama.
According to Mohd Hisham, meteorological analysis by several regional and local centres indicated that the haze in the Klang Valley had local causes while the haze affecting parts of Sarawak was linked to both local and transboundary factors.
