KOI KYE LEE New Straits Times 7 Aug 14;
PUTRAJAYA: The number of hotspots recorded in the country and Indonesia have reduced significantly.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri G. Palanivel said a total of 10 hotspots were identified in Sumatra and 15 in Kalimantan, Indonesia.
Previously, 48 and 32 hotspots were recorded in Sumatra and Kalimantan, Indonesia, respectively as identified on satellite images by the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC).
Palanivel said in a statement today that there was only one hotspot that was identified in the country, and it was at Sarawak.
He added that this hotspot would be investigated and necessary enforcement action would be taken.
As of 3pm, only 10 areas recorded moderate air quality on the Air Pollutant Index (API) readings.
Among these areas were Bakar Arang, Sungai Petani, Kedah (56); Kampung Air Putih, Taiping, Perak (53); ILP Miri, Sarawak (63); Sri Aman, Sarawak (67); and Batu Muda, Kuala Lumpur (64).
Palanivel reminded the public that open burning was prohibited with the exception of religious activities, cremations or barbecues.
He added that the Department of Environment (DOE) had detected 4,436 open burning in the country from January to Aug 6, and 324 cases were compounded while 115 cases were issued with warning notices.
It was also learnt that 45 open burning cases would be referred for further action.
Five of them have been registered in the Sessions Court.
Met Dept: Rain expected over weekend
The Star 8 Aug 14;
PETALING JAYA: Malaysians will get a brief respite from the dry spell plaguing the country – with relief expected from a typhoon passing nearby.
Malaysia Meteorological Department’s (MMD) deputy director-general Alui Bahari said more rainfall was expected this week, especially during the weekend.
Super Typhoon Halong, which has strengthened to 240kph, is expected to make landfall tomorrow at Shikoku, Japan’s smallest island.
“When a typhoon is gathering, the moisture in the air becomes concentrated towards the typhoon, which brings about a dry spell.
“The moisture will be released again once the typhoon has decayed, resulting in more rainfall,” explained Alui.
He said the region was susceptible to dry spells when typhoons originating in the Pacific Ocean start to form.
“As August is a peak season for typhoons, the country will experience alternate periods of dry and wet weather throughout the month,” he said.
Alui added that while rainfall was expected to increase this week, MMD would still be conducting cloud seeding operations over water catchment areas to boost dam levels.
Meanwhile, the air quality around the country improved slightly yesterday compared to Wednesday.
The air pollutant index (API) of Port Klang, which reached an “unhealthy” level of 115 on Wednesday, came down to a “moderate” level of 56 yesterday.
Other areas which recorded moderate readings yesterday included Miri (74), Sri Aman (67), Batu Muda in Kuala Lumpur (64) and Bakar Arang in Sungai Petani (56).
