The Haze

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hi,

That's a relief to us all. The other haze has usually gone by mid October at the latest.

It's now the time of the North-East monsoon which blows between November and January. As it's blowing down from the North-East anything that gets over the central peninsula will send any residual haze back to Sumatra.

It also blows down over Sarawak sending any haze southward.

Any haze now is probably Malaysians, or anyone else, burning off stuff locally. I'm always amazed at how everyone of my neighbours so much enjoys collecting leaves and building a fire. I know it's cheaper than mossie coils but the mossies are probably less toxic than the smoke.

No-one collects leaves for a compost heap. I'm the only one. But, there again, I get a lot of mossie bites. 

Here's a link for Malaysia's Monsoons : http://www.kjc.gov.my/english/education/weather/monsoon01.html

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I spent the best part of the last week in KL, and it was quite hazy there.
David

Based on experience above I would say late October

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Don't know about Haze.  After 9 days in Penang, I've grown webbed feet.

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Thailand now has haze too!   And it is the home-grown variety, not from Indonesia/Malaysia.  Fortunately it is not in Bkk.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/investigation/34812/clouds-with-no-silver-lining

Reading this article has made me wonder about the long-term health risks of living with the haze.  Is there any research as to whether, for example, lung cancer is higher in haze areas than non-haze areas?

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Little bit hazy and a bit of the same burning smell I remember from last year today.
How is KL CA?

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I intend to make my next visit to Malaysia in the time of The Haze.  This is not an act of masochism or stupidity, but a fact-finding tour.  I need to know whether I will be able to cope with the haze or not, and I am going to KL to seek out condos near to suburban railway stations, as this is my choice for relocation.

Can anyone suggest the best time to visit KL to ensure really good strong haze?

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hi,

Looks like it's anytime from July onwards. You'll get a nice sore throat. I'm going to Thailand for a hols.


30 April 2010 : ASEAN ministers warn that haze could return in July
"SINGAPORE: The haze could return in July if no concrete action is taken to fight the forest fires in Indonesia.

ASEAN environment ministers issued the warning at a meeting on transboundary haze in East Kalimantan, Indonesia on Friday.

The ministers noted that during the current Inter-Monsoon season from May to June, brief dry spells can be expected. This could lead to occasional surges of hotspot activities in the region.

Increased hotspot activities can be expected in the fire-prone areas in the region during the traditional dry season from June to September. This may lead to transboundary smoke haze pollution from July.

Despite the weakening of the El Nino phenomenon, the region experienced an increase in hotspots from March to April, compared with the same period last year.

The ministers agreed to step up vigilance and work harder to prevent and fight land and forest fires.

They also pledged to reduce the number of hotspots by 20 per cent every year.

The ministers noted the progress in the collaboration between Indonesia and Singapore for the Muaro Jambi Regency.

Seven action programmes have been successfully completed under the Jambi Master Plan.

An additional project on Freshwater Aquaculture Training has also been completed while the Jambi Peatland Management Project is ongoing.

Senior officials will meet again in July in Sarawak, Malaysia to review the fire and haze situation, as well as ongoing activities and appropriate action.
CNA
End of Article


Every year it's been meetings, appropriate action, monitoring, meetings, cloud seeding, chanting, and ziltch, zip, zero, zippo & jack.

I got my first anti-haze air ioniser in Singapore in the 80's.

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hi,

....anytime from July onwards.

......anti-haze air ioniser


 

Thanks for both.  Item 2 is new to me; I will check it out.

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hi,

Haze in Muar and Johor and Singapore yesterday.

The Singapore Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Yaacob Ibrahim is "a bit disappointed".   http://www.todayonline.com/Hotnews/EDC101021-0000097/Return-of-the-haze-disappointing

I bet the Indonesians are really worried about that one. The Malaysians around where I live don't give a rat's XXX as can be seen by the oil palm plantations/rice paddies burning stuff off.

For Malaysia :

Thursday October 21, 2010 : Schools in Muar close as haze worsens
KUALA LUMPUR: All schools in Muar have been advised to temporarily close as the air quality in the district has reached dangerous levels.

Muar recorded an Air Pollutant Index (API) reading of 432 at 11am yesterday.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also the Education Minister, said schools should be closed if the level passed 400. “School principals will still be able to work but students do not need to attend school until the level is below 400,” he said yesterday.

Muhyiddin, who chaired a National Security Council meeting to discuss the haze, said that co-curricular activities in all 204 schools in Muar should also be cancelled. However, he said the Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia examinations would proceed as scheduled but students were required to wear protective masks during their tests. He said the air quality in Muar reached an unhealthy level on Monday but rose to the dangerous level at 11pm on Tuesday.

“The Department of Environment has been monitoring the air pollution since Oct 15 via 51 monitoring stations in the peninsula. The API recorded in all stations showed healthy and moderate levels except for Muar and Malacca,” he said. Malacca’s API was at an unhealthy level when it recorded a reading of 111 at 11am yesterday, he said.

Muhyiddin said an action plan was already activated to deal with the situation. “We have asked the Muar authorities to inform the residents of developments. We are not hiding any information so that safety measures can be taken,” he said.

“The DOE is sending 10,000 masks to schools in Muar to be distributed to the students. Mineral water will also be given as people are encouraged to drink clean water during this bad weather,” he said. He said the DOE would also begin cloud seeding as soon as possible. Asked about the cause of the haze, Muhyiddin said it was due to fires in Sumatra which were sparked by the dry and hot weather.

He added that Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas had contacted Indonesian authorities to discuss how both countries could keep the situation under control. In Muar, Education Department officer Ramli Abdul Samad said the department would begin distributing masks to the schools soon.

Ramli said a short shower in the afternoon had reduced the haze in some parts of the district, especially in the Sungai Mati areas, but there was still haze in Sungai Balang and along the coast. Healthy API readings are below 50, moderate (51-100) and unhealthy (101-200). Readings above 301 is deemed hazardous.

For updates on the API nationwide, visit the department website at www.doe.gov.my.
End of Article
Source : thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/10/21/nation/7267081&sec=nation

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Last year the Malaysian Government repeatedly offered aircraft to assist in spotting hot spots in Indonesia. I gather is was rejected and so, as every year, Indonesia smokes up the region. Actually KL is not as bad yet as it usually does this time of year.

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In Kuantan yesterday (21 October) the haze was beginning to get thick again.  Indonesia doesn't pay attention to Malaysia's calls to stop the slash-and-burn agriculture.   Some of the companies doing such are Malaysian palm oil firms methinks.

 

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Some of the companies doing such are Malaysian palm oil firms methinks.
 

Teak as your emoticon indicates, it is an absolute fact.

Nice and bright and sunny here in Phuket, with just the odd cloud to keep the temperature moderated!

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Good to hear Phuket is sunny for the masses of grossly overweight bare topped Russian and German SYT drinking overpriced lolly water.

I'll stick with sipping Vietnamese coffee at my favourite stall adjacent the Phnom Penh Museum having to lift our feet in the flood as each 4WD send a tidal wave past us. 

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Got a friend in Singapore at the moment and he says that the Haze is really bad there this year and very pongy.

I was in Phuket earlier this week and it hardly stopped raining.  (I guess you must be in some kind of micro-climate where you are Fizzy).  What was really noticeable to us was the difference in humidity between Phuket and Penang.  I had thought previously  that the climates were pretty similar, but very glad to get back to Penang - just much fresher climate somehow.  Not sure why that should be.

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I am near Kamalla. Had a couple of brief but heavy showers earlier in the week and that was all.

Interesting comment viz-a-viz Phuket Penang.

I find Phuket much cooler than KL, but then again KL is no where near the coast!