Air haze in southern ASEAN region likely to increase

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Air haze in southern ASEAN region likely to increase

On Monday, weather and climate authorities marked a rise in the risk of haze in the southern ASEAN region between June and October this year, amid expectations of a more intense and prolonged dry season.

The ASEAN Specialised Meteorological CentreASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre ASMC made this announcement when it issued Alert Level 1, indicating the start of the dry season associated with the Southwest Monsoon in the southern ASEAN region.

In most regions of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and south Thailand, consistent drier weather has been observed in recent days, with the monsoon rain band moving north of the equator.

While El Nino conditions are expected to develop in the coming months, the dry season is anticipated to be more intense and prolonged compared to recent years and run into October 2023, the agency said.

The hotspot activities in the southern ASEAN region are presently still subdued, with 14 and 13 hotspots detected in the southern ASEAN region on May 27 and May 28 respectively, said ASMC.

On some days of May, a few localised smoke plumes were detected in parts of the region, but no transboundary smoke haze occurrence has been observed so far.