Global Courant 2023-04-13 06:12:38
GEORGE TOWN – Scorching heat and moderate air pollution have made the northern Malaysian states of Perlis, Kedah and Penang hotspots in more ways than one.
The oppressive environment is created by a combination of cloudless skies and humid weather, although there are occasional scattered showers.
Mr. Phee Boon Poh, chairman of the Penang State Environment Commission, said there are concerns that temperatures could rise further as neighboring Thailand is experiencing record high temperatures.
“We are now entering the intermediate monsoon period, from May to July. When it doesn’t rain, the ocean warms up and a hot wind blows. We expect temperatures around 32°C to 33°C.
“In Thailand they are facing temperatures of up to 45 degrees Celsius, which is unprecedented. We’re afraid it will happen here too,” said Mr Phee, who also asked people to keep themselves hydrated.
He also appealed to people to refrain from conducting open burning activities as the overall drought could lead to a fire that could rage out of control.
“We’ve put all volunteer fire departments on alert for open fire,” he said.
Mr Phee urged people, especially those in high-rise buildings, to avoid overusing their air conditioners as they would add more heat to the environment.
“If everyone uses air conditioning for hours on end, the warm air blown out of the condenser or compressor will add to the problem, especially in high-rise buildings,” he said.
The Air Pollutant Index (API) readings for Penang show moderate air pollution in the city of Balik Pulau (at 68) and the capital George Town (71), while the suburb of Tanjung Bungah indicates unhealthy levels at 124.
An API value between zero and 50 is good, while 51 to 100 is moderate, 101 to 200 is unhealthy, 201 to 300 is very unhealthy, and 301 and above are considered dangerous.
Mainland Penang showed a reading between 65 and 83 in several locations, putting it under the “moderate” category, while Kedah, the capital of Alor Setar state, recorded 71. Perak varies between 68 and 72.
Current readings are believed to be caused by domestic pollution, as no hotspots have yet been detected in Indonesia, Thailand or Vietnam, according to data on the regional haze situation from the Asean Specialized Meteorological Center.
In almost all rural farmlands in Southeast Asia, fire is still widely used to clean up agricultural waste because it is cheap and helps put some minerals back into the soil other than killing pests.
But the resulting smoke will travel hundreds of miles and become a haze in neighboring countries.
The Malaysia Meteorological Service website indicates that while the entire country experiences warm weather, only Sik, Kubang Pasu and Kuala Muda, all in Kedah, experience temperatures between 35°C and 37°C for more than three consecutive days.
The temperature in other parts of the country will remain below 35 degrees, just like Monday.
The weather forecast for Penang for the next few days indicates rain in one or two places, with temperatures expected to hover above 30°C.
Water levels at both dams on Penang Island have dropped to about half their effective capacity, and Penangites have been urged to use water wisely until they return to normal levels.
K. Pathmanathan, CEO of Penang Water Supply Corporation, said this followed the low rainfall recorded since early 2023 in the basins of the Air Itam and Teluk Bahang reservoirs.
“The water level at Air Itam Dam has dropped from 82.5 percent to 51.8 percent, while the level at Teluk Bahang has dropped from 64 percent to 51.3 percent,” he said. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
