ASMC: More than 100 hotspots detected in Borneo

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A screenshot of the latest distribution of hotspots on Borneo on ASMC’s website today.

KUCHING: The number of hotspots detected by the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) in Borneo has increased to 116 from 37 a week ago.

According to the latest satellite image uploaded on the centre’s website today, there are 15 hotspots in Sarawak while the rest are in neighbouring Kalimantan.

The hotspots in Sarawak are mostly in the central region of the state.

Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia Air Pollution: Real-time Air Quality Index

Established in January 1993, ASMC was appointed to monitor and assess land and forest fires and the occurrence of transboundary smoke haze affecting the Asean region.

Meanwhile, air quality in the state shows little signs of improving, with the Department of Environment’s monitoring station in Samarahan becoming the third in the state to record unhealthy readings.

The station’s air pollutant index (API) reading as at 9pm breached the unhealthy level with 101.

The other stations recording poor air quality readings are both in Miri – 139 in Kuala Baram and 375 at the ILP Miri in Bandar Permyjaya, which is actually categorised as ‘hazardous’.

The ILP Miri station breached the hazardous level at 2am today with a reading of 307 and peaked at noon at 392.

An API reading of zero to 50 is good, 51 to 100 is moderate, 101 to 200 unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy and 301 and above is hazardous.