Cloud seeding operation begins in Klang Valley after API readings exceed 150 for 24 hours

A woman wears a face mask as haze worsens in Shah Alam September 16, 2026. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

First Published: Saturday, 19 Sep 2026 3:09 PM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 19 — The government, through the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma), will conduct a cloud seeding operation in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya today and tomorrow to mitigate the effects of the haze and improve air quality in the affected areas.

Nadma director-general Datuk Meor Ismail Meor Akim said the operation was being carried out in collaboration with the Malaysian Meteorological Department, Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia and Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), with an RMAF C-130 Hercules aircraft serving as the main asset.

“The cloud seeding operation is scheduled to be conducted on Sept 19 and 20, following Air Pollutant Index (API) readings for PM2.5 in the affected areas exceeding 150 for more than 24 hours, based on readings by the Department of Environment.

“However, the operation is subject to weather conditions and the presence of suitable clouds for the seeding process,” he said in a statement today.

He added that Nadma and the relevant agencies will continue to monitor developments in the haze situation and prevailing weather conditions to ensure that appropriate measures can be coordinated from time to time. — Bernama