Residents in Sarawak could continue to experience hazy conditions for at least another week, or longer, as long as fires in Kalimantan remain uncontrolled and south-westerly winds continue to carry smoke across the region.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) said rainfall in Malaysia may only provide temporary relief, as the haze is largely dependent on whether the fires are brought under control and changes in wind direction.
MetMalaysia Deputy Director-General of Operations Ambun Dindang said the ongoing haze was being driven mainly by the fires and prevailing wind patterns.
He explained that the current Southwest Monsoon was bringing hot, dry weather with limited rainfall, creating conditions that could allow fires to persist.
“We are currently experiencing the Southwest Monsoon, which is characterised by dry and hot weather with less rainfall.
“This situation is expected to continue throughout September,” he told Astro AWANI on Monday.
Ambun also said the possibility of a Super El Nino developing in October was another factor that needed to be closely monitored.
He said El Nino conditions had already begun in June and were expected to strengthen between October and December, potentially reaching a very strong level.
The situation was further highlighted by the detection of 1,738 hotspots across southern and western Borneo on Aug 28.
Although the number later dropped to 261 hotspots in West Kalimantan, smoke from the remaining fires was still being carried by south-westerly winds towards western and southern parts of Sarawak.
Ambun stressed that widespread rainfall over the affected fire zones was needed to tackle the source of the haze rather than simply providing temporary relief in Malaysia.
“Throughout September, winds will continue to blow consistently from the southwest, from the direction of the affected fire areas.
“What we hope for is widespread rainfall, particularly in western and southern Kalimantan, so that the haze originating from those areas can be reduced,” he said.
Meanwhile, cloud seeding operations scheduled from Sept 3 to 5 will focus on Sarawak and the northern states of Peninsular Malaysia.
Ambun said the operations would use wet cloud seeding techniques to increase water levels and provide additional relief in areas affected by the dry conditions.
“We will try to increase the water levels by conducting cloud seeding using the wet seeding method during that period,” he said.
