Haze blankets Brunei as hotspots increase in Kalimantan

Brunei is currently experiencing hazy conditions due to smoke from numerous hotspots detected on the island of Kalimantan, particularly in Indonesia.

In a joint press release issued by Brunei’s Department of Environment, Parks and Recreation; the Ministry of Health; and the Brunei Darussalam Meteorological Department on Sunday (30/8), satellite imagery from the ASEAN Specialized Meteorological Center (ASMC) detected 514 hotspots on Thursday (27/8), 1,734 hotspots on Friday (28/8), and 1,180 hotspots on Saturday (29/8) on the island of Kalimantan.

The hotspots were largely concentrated in the western part of Kalimantan, especially in Central Kalimantan and West Kalimantan provinces.

The ministries stated that south-westerly winds blowing towards Brunei are carrying haze from the main hotspots, contributing significantly to the current hazy conditions.

Despite the haze, PSI readings recorded at air quality monitoring stations in all four districts of Brunei remain within the good to moderate range.