Thin haze from Riau reaches Singapore, Indonesian Meteorology Agency says

The Jakarta Post 2 Mar 14;

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) in Pekanbaru, Riau, says thin haze caused by land and forest fires in Riau has reached Singapore, due to a change in wind direction.

“At 7,000 to 10,000 feet of elevation in the atmosphere, there was a vortex that altered the direction of the haze,” BMKG Pekanbaru staff member Ardhitama said as quoted by Antara news agency.

He said the haze heading toward the Malacca Strait would likely be thicker, as there was a typhoon potential in the northern part of the Philippines, which could affect the wind direction.

"So far, the wind is still blowing northeast to southwest so the haze is moving to West Sumatra and Bengkulu,” he said.

The BMKG predicts the chance of rain falling in Riau over the next three days is very slim. Local rains of light intensity are likely to occur only in the western regions of Riau.

Terra and Aqua satellites identified on Sunday morning 98 hotspots in Riau. Thick haze has continued to blanket Pekanbaru, disrupting flights.

Authorities at Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport said 12 flights had been delayed as the haze had reduced visibility to only 800 meters. (idb/ebf)