thejakartapost.com 7 Aug 15;
Most of Riau is now clear from haze caused by forest fires thanks to a recent spike in rainfall.
"The visibility in several cities and regencies in Riau is quite good this morning; between 3 and 5 kilometers. No more haze is around," said Pekanbaru Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) analyst Ardhitama as quoted by Antara news agency on Friday.
He added that there are no more hotspots in Riau and that the potential of forest fires in Pekanbaru is much lower now due to the medium to high intensity of rain that has been falling relatively frequently.
“Most areas of Riau is in dry season. The transition season will be in the middle of August, while the peak of the rainy season will be at the end of August,” he said.
Most of the Riau region, including its capital city Pekanbaru, was hit by a harsh dry season that delivered almost no rain for the last three months causing forest fires and a thick haze that disrupted residents' daily activities. (edn/kes)(+++)
