The Star 10 Oct 14;
PETALING JAYA: The hazy weather is expected to be temporary, says the Meteorological Department.
Meteorological officer Ambun Dindang said the current inter-monsoon season that the country was experiencing would help reduce the haze.
“We are experiencing the inter-monsoon season, which is expected to last until mid-November, with frequent thunderstorms and heavy rain mainly during the afternoon and evening over the west coast states of the peninsula, western Sabah and interior Sarawak.
“This can reduce the hazy condition in the country,” he said in an email to The Star.
Despite the inter-monsoon season, the country is also experiencing dry weather conditions over most parts of the country except for Sabah and Sarawak.
However, the dry weather was also expected to be temporary, said Ambun.
“This situation is partly due to Typhoon Vongfong currently forming over northeastern Philippines and moving towards southern Japan.
“Lack of moisture in the atmosphere contributed to less rainfall in the country, especially peninsular Malaysia,” he said.
The inter-monsoon season will be followed by the northeast monsoon season from mid-November until early March next year.
“During the northeast monsoon period, wetter weather conditions are expected throughout the country with five to six heavy rainfall episodes,” Ambun added.
Meanwhile, Singapore’s The Straits Times reported that Indonesia was expecting a delay in the start of the rainy season and this could cause hazy weather in Singapore and Malaysia to last until at least the middle of the month depending on wind conditions.
A weather forecaster in Pekanbaru was quoted as saying that the rainy season, originally expected in early October in Riau province, will now start in the middle of the month at the earliest due to the El Nino phenomenon.
Many seek treatment for respiratory problems
The Star 10 Oct 14;
PETALING JAYA: People are going to clinics around the Klang Valley for various haze-related symptoms.
A quick check with a few clinics saw an average of three patients a day seeking treatment for cold, cough and asthma.
Assistant staff nurse G. Privathy, 20, from Klinik Mediviron in Bangsar, said that despite the return of the haze, the number of patients was no cause for alarm.
“It isn’t so bad. Patients usually come in the morning, complaining of the haze,” she said.
As of 5pm yesterday, the Air Pollution Index (API) for areas in the Klang Valley was good although several areas such as Port Klang, Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam, Batu Muda and Cheras had registered readings dangerously close to unhealthy.
An API reading between 0 and 50 is considered good; 51 to 100, moderate; 101 to 200, unhealthy; 201 to 300, very unhealthy; and 301 and above, hazardous.
Media practitioner Faizal Hassan, 30, said he avoided the outdoors due to the haze.
“I drive to work and I could barely see the KL Tower. It hasn’t affected my health but it affected my vision slightly while driving,” he said.
Housewife Sharifah Khairiah Syed Ghazali, 58, said she avoided going out as the situation looked bad.
