40 districts nationwide record unhealthy air quality

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 40 districts nationwide recorded unhealthy air quality levels as of 8am today, with Johan Setia in Selangor registering the highest Air Pollutant Index (API) reading of 182.

Data from the Malaysian Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS) showed other badly affected areas included Cheras in Kuala Lumpur (179), Nilai in Negri Sembilan (178), Putrajaya (176), Shah Alam in Selangor (175), Seremban in Negri Sembilan (174), and Batu Muda in Kuala Lumpur (172).

All affected areas recording unhealthy air quality were in Peninsular Malaysia.

Meanwhile, 23 districts recorded moderate air quality, mostly in Sarawak, including Kuching (75), IPD Serian (73), Samarahan (70), and Sibu (66).

Sabah also recorded moderate air quality, including at Politeknik Kota Kinabalu (64), Keningau (56), and Sandakan (53).

Other locations with moderate readings included Alor Star (99) and Langkawi (96) in Kedah; Larkin (99) and Pengerang (98) in Johor; Kangar in Perlis (88); and Kota Bharu in Kelantan (88).

Only four districts in Sabah and Sarawak recorded good air quality levels, namely Sarikei (47), Limbang (46), Kota Kinabalu (45), and ILP Miri (44).

It was earlier reported that the number of hotspots detected in Kalimantan jumped to 808, increasing the risk of transboundary haze if open burning in Indonesia persists.

According to data from the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC), hotspots in Kalimantan rose from 301 on Sept 12 to 461 on Sept 13, before surging to 808 yesterday.

During the same period, ASMC also recorded 87 hotspots in Sumatra, 15 in Sabah and Sarawak, and one in Peninsular Malaysia.

The data highlighted a sharp increase in hotspots in Kalimantan over the two days, following lower counts earlier in the monitoring phase.