PETALING JAYA: Sarawak recorded the highest number of unhealthy air quality readings nationwide as haze worsened, with schools in two districts temporarily closed.
According to the Air Pollutant Index Management System, 10 monitoring stations in Sarawak recorded unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings as of 6pm yesterday.
Kapit recorded the highest reading at 173, followed by Sibu (165), Sri Aman (164), IPD Serian (161) and Bintulu (160).
Other affected areas were Kuching (159), Samalaju (158), Samarahan (156), Mukah (153) and Miri (148).
In Sabah, Politeknik Kota Kinabalu recorded an unhealthy reading of 151.
Five areas in the peninsula also recorded unhealthy readings – Cheras (156) in Kuala Lumpur; Nilai (153) and Seremban (124) in Negri Sembilan; Shah Alam (151) in Selangor; and Putrajaya (154).
Meanwhile, 47 areas recorded moderate readings, while six recorded good air quality.
An API reading of 101 to 200 is classified as unhealthy, 201 to 300 as very unhealthy and 301 and above as hazardous.
The Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre said dry weather persisted over many parts of southern Asean, with scattered to widespread hotspots detected in Kalimantan and southern Sumatra.
It said moderate to dense transboundary haze was observed over northern Borneo, while moderate to dense smoke haze affected many parts of Kalimantan and southern Sumatra.
The centre forecast continued dry conditions in parts of southern Asean, with showers expected over Peninsular Malaysia, northern and central Borneo and Sumatra, while warning of a continued risk of severe transboundary haze in fire-prone areas.
