ANN/THE STAR – The Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) detected a total of 77 fire hotspots in Sarawak, Malaysia between August 1 and 15, with the highest number at 36 recorded on August 1.
State Deputy Energy and Environmental Sustainability Minister Dr Hazland Abang Hipni said the Singapore-based ASMC also reported a total of 195 hotspots detected in Sarawak and 2,820 in Kalimantan, Indonesia, from January to July.
“In Kalimantan, 2,153 were detected (in the first half of August) and the highest number was on August 5 with 376 hotspots recorded.
“From August 13 to 15, no hotspots were detected in Sarawak, while 424 were reported in Kalimantan,” he said in a statement yesterday.
He added that from January until 8am on Wednesday, the air pollutant index (API) in Sarawak was in the good to moderate range with no unhealthy readings recorded.
“Based on the Malaysian Meteorological Department’s weather forecast on July 26, the country is currently in the South-West Monsoon phase which started on May 15 and is expected to end in mid-September,” he said.
Dr Hazland said during this phase, winds with lower air humidity blow consistently from the south-west, causing a lack of rain cloud formation.
According to him, ASMC forecast that dry weather conditions will continue in nearby regions such as southern and central Kalimantan, resulting in the risk of increased hotspots and haze in fire-prone areas.
He said the state Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) had activated the haze operations room, stopped issuing controlled open burning permits and cancelled permits that had been issued earlier for that purpose.
“NREB has also issued a notice prohibiting open burning to all project developers and held an awareness programme with other agencies to ensure air quality is maintained,” he said.
Patrols were also being conducted to spot and stop open burning, he added.
He also advised the public to drink enough water, reduce outdoor activities or wear a face mask, especially for those in high-risk groups who need to be outdoors during periods of hot and dry weather.
It was reported earlier that hazy skies were seen over Kuching as parts of southern Sarawak recorded the country’s highest API readings.