The air quality in central and north peninsula deteriorated on Friday (Sept 29) as haze covered the Federal Territories, as well as states such as Penang, Perak, and Negeri Sembilan.
Kuala Lumpur recorded an average Air Pollutant Index (API) of 154.5, with Cheras being the most affected at 155 and Batu Muda at 153.
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Selangor registered an average API of 127.4, with Petaling Jaya being the worst affected at 153 and Klang with the least impact at 88.
The Meteorological Department defines unhealthy API levels as ranging from 101 to 200.
Several areas outside of the Klang Valley also reported unhealthy API levels. Putrajaya recorded an API of 117, Taiping in Perak at 131, and Seberang Jaya in Penang at 110.
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Haze readings started to increase gradually from 5am onwards.
The Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) attributed the haze to smoke plumes from Sumatra being blown north-west by prevailing winds.
“Under the prolonged dry weather, elevated hotspot activity and widespread hazy conditions are expected to persist over the fire-prone areas in southern and central Sumatra and southern Kalimantan.
“The prevailing winds are forecasted to blow mainly from the south-east,” it stated.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
