Unhealthy air in more than 30 areas from smoke pollution

 Serian, Sarawak, continues to show the highest air pollution reading, with parts of central and southern peninsula also affected.

Smoke pollution from widespread hotspots in Kalimantan and Sumatra has affected air quality across the country. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

Unhealthy levels of air pollution from fires in Kalimantan covered most of Sarawak today, as well as Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, while central and southern parts of Peninsular Malaysia suffered smoke pollution from fires in Sumatra.

More than 30 areas across the country were affected, Bernama reported.

The highest air pollution reading this evening was at Serian, Sarawak (173), followed by Samarahan (168), Kuching (166), Sri Aman (157), Bintulu (155), Miri and Sibu (both 153), Samalaju (131), Limbang (116) and ILP Miri (106).

Kota Kinabalu Polytechnic in Sabah recorded an unhealthy reading of 155.

Smoke pollution and unhealthy levels of air quality from transboundary smoke haze in Southeast Asia today. (Iqair.com map)

In the peninsula, unhealthy air quality readings were recorded in:
Federal territory: Putrajaya (161); Kuala Lumpur: Cheras (153) and Batu Muda (147);

Selangor: Shah Alam (157), Petaling Jaya (151), Banting (132) Kuala Selangor (108) and Klang (107);

Negeri Sembilan: Nilai (160), Seremban (156) and Port Dickson (126);

Melaka: Bukit Rambai (153), Melaka City (152) and Alor Gajah (119);

Johor: Larkin (152), Segamat (156), Batu Pahat and Tangkak (both 155);

Pahang: Indera Mahkota, Kuantan (111) and Balok Baru, Kuantan (103).

The Asean haze centre said moderate to dense smoke plumes were observed over large parts of Kalimantan, and the southern and central parts of Sumatra, with many air quality stations in Borneo and Sumatra recording unhealthy to hazardous levels.

Widespread hotspots were detected in Kalimantan while isolated to scattered hotspots were detected in southern and central Sumatra and parts of Sulawesi. - FMT