API levels nationwide improve as monsoon transition period begins, prepare for floods
Most Malaysians woke up today to sunshine and moderately clear skies.
Air Pollutant Index (API) readings improved throughout the country, with only 9 locations still measuring “unhealthy” levels as of 2pm.
Following the improvement in air quality, all schools have been reopened as usual.
The API issued by the Department of Environment (DoE) via the APIMS website showed that in Johan Setia, Klang which recorded very unhealthy reading (203) at 3pm on Monday, now stands at 166.
Aside from Johan Setia Klang, only 8 areas, mainly along the West coast of Peninsula Malaysia, still reported unhealthy readings.
Meanwhile in Kuching and Samarahan which had been hit the worse by the haze for most of the month now measures “moderate” API levels of 72 and 67 respectively.
The improvement in air quality is likely due to the fact that today marks the beginning of a monsoon transition phase.
On Saturday (Sept 21), the Malaysian Meteorological Department announced that a monsoon transition phase is expected to begin today (Sept 24) and last until early November 2019.
This transition period marks the end of the Southwest Monsoon period and the dry spells it brought and replaces it with thunderstorms and heavy downpours across the country.
In the statement, the department said that while the rainy weather has the potential to cause flash floods and damage of weak infrastructures, they expect the haze situation to improve.
You can read the department’s full statement below.
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