HAZE IS BACK.......AIR QUALITY DIPS

Air quality has dipped in many parts of the country even as hotspots continue to be detected.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Insider reports :

Sept 7 — Some parts of the country will be afflicted by hazy conditions for several more days to come as no rain is expected in those locales for five consecutive days, Bernama Online reported today.

The affected areas were listed by the Meteorological Department in a weather advisory as Arau (Perlis); Kota Setar (Kedah); Seberang Perai Utara (Penang); Kinta and Manjung (Perak); Kepong, Klang, Petaling and Sabak Bernam (Selangor); Batu Pahat (Johor); and Miri (Sarawak).

In a related development, the Department of Environment (DOE) said hazy conditions that blanketed the Klang Valley, northern states, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and several areas in Pahang this morning had been caused by fires in Sumatra, Indonesia.

The DOE also urged the public to report any incidents of open burning to the Fire and Rescue Department at 999 or the department itself at 1-800-88-2727 (toll-free).

As of 11am today, the Air Pollutant Index (API) in 14 areas across the country was at a good level while 38 others at a moderate level, the DOE said.

Areas that fell within the moderate API level reading included Shah Alam, Selangor (84); Sekolah Kebangsaan Jalan Pegoh, Ipoh (83); and Port Klang (81) while Sarawak as a whole saw good API levels in general.