Johor still worst hit by haze but fewer areas affected nationwide

Johor remains the hardest hit by haze, with eight areas recording unhealthy air pollutant index (API) readings this morning.

As of 10am, 33 areas nationwide recorded unhealthy API readings down from the 36 recorded yesterday evening.

The eight Johor areas were Batu Pahat, with an API reading of 190, Tangkak 186, Larkin 185, Pasir Gudang 184, Segamat 181, Kluang 177, Kota Tinggi 172 and Pengerang 169.

Selangor had six areas which recorded unhealthy API readings, followed by Perak with four and Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Pahang with three each.

In Selangor, the six areas were Shah Alam with a reading of 167, followed by Johan Setia 165, Petaling Jaya 161, Klang 157, Banting 154 and Kuala Selangor 152.

In Perak, Tasek Ipoh remained the worst hit with an API reading of 174, Pegoh Ipoh 170, Tanjung Malim 168, and Seri Manjung 152.

In Negri Sembilan, the areas with unhealthy readings were Seremban 183, Nilai 179 and Port Dickson 164.

The areas affected in Melaka were Bukit Rambai 175, Bandaraya Melaka 173 and Alor Gajah 173.

In Pahang, the areas with unhealthy API readings were Rompin 168, Indera Mahkota Kuantan 141 and Temerloh 139.

Unhealthy readings were also recorded in Cheras with 175 and Batu Muda 169, both in Kuala Lumpur, and Putrajaya 167.

In Sarawak, the two areas affected were Kuching with 153 and Samarahan 109, and Seberang Perai was the only area in Penang, with an unhealthy reading of 123.

Yesterday, educational institutions in Selangor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Johor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya were ordered to close amid the worsening haze. Some districts in Perak were also affected by the school closure.

Under the closure directives, schools in areas recording API readings above 180 are to close, while those in areas with readings above 150 for three consecutive days will close from Oct 12.

An API reading between 101 and 200 is classified as unhealthy, while readings above 200 are considered very unhealthy.

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