Putrajaya Among 5 Areas With Unhealthy Air Quality

---

 The administrative capital records an Air Pollutant Index reading of 139.
Five areas in the peninsula recorded unhealthy API readings as of 3pm today, and 57 areas recorded moderate air quality. (Bernama pic)PETALING JAYA: Air quality in parts of Selangor and Negeri Sembilan has worsened, with Putrajaya also breaching unhealthy levels, according to the Air Pollutant Index (API) from the environment department
Environment department director-general Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaafar said the API reading in Putrajaya reached 139 as at 3pm, while the reading in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, crept up to 162 from 156 recorded at 9am.
In Selangor, the API reading in Banting increased from 151 to 154, but it dropped minimally in Johan Setia (Klang) from 155 to 154, within the same period.
In Alor Gajah, Melaka, the API reading reached 110.
An API reading of zero to 50 indicates good air quality, 51-100 moderate, 101-200 unhealthy, 201-300 very unhealthy, and above 300 hazardous.
Wan Abdul Latiff said 57 areas recorded moderate air quality and six areas registered good air quality.
He said the air quality deterioration was influenced by the movement of smoke and haze entering the west coast region of the country over the past 24 hours.
“No large-scale fires in the country have been detected,” he said.
According to the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) in Singapore, satellite images from yesterday showed 65 hotspots in Sumatra, 30 in Kalimantan and four in Malaysia – two each in Pahang and Selangor.
Wan Abdul Latiff said ASMC’s regional haze map today showed wind blowing southwest, with no major haze plumes observed.
“Dry conditions were reported across southern Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, the Lesser Sunda Islands and southern Kalimantan.
“Isolated hotspots were detected in Sumatra, with several more in Peninsular Malaysia, Kalimantan, Vietnam and Thailand,” he said. - FMT

---