Kalimantan hotspots surge to 808, raising risk of more haze

The number of hotspots in Kalimantan, Indonesia, surged to 808 yesterday, raising the risk of more transboundary haze affecting Malaysia.

Meteorological department director-general Hisham Anip said the southwest monsoon season had seen smoke blowing from the forest and land fires in Kalimantan towards Malaysia.

He said the season was likely to end only in October, Berita Harian reported.

Data from the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre showed that the number of hotspots in Kalimantan rose from 301 three days ago to 461 on Sept 13, and 808 yesterday.

Nonetheless, West Sarawak is expected to experience rainy weather throughout this week, which could alleviate the transboundary haze.

Hisham said air quality could be expected to fully recover once the northeast monsoon begins at the start of 2027, although this will bring drier and hotter weather.

As of 12pm, 38 out of 68 air pollutant index stations across the country recorded unhealthy air quality, with the highest reading recorded in Serian, Sarawak, and Johan Setia, Selangor, at 185 each.