SEREMBAN: As Malaysians wilt under the scorching sun, the air quality here has turned ‘unhealthy’, registering a reading of 104 on the air pollutant index as of 4pm today.
The air quality in Nilai hovered at the ‘unhealthy’ range, with an API reading of 94. An hour before that, Nilai recorded an API reading of 115.
An API reading of between 0 and 50 is considered good, 51 to 100 (moderate), 101 to 200 (unhealthy), 201 to 300 (very unhealthy), and 301 and above (hazardous).
Efforts to obtain information on the probable cause of the haze were unsuccessful at press time.
A heat wave is currently sweeping the country, with temperatures reaching the high 30s in the northern states of Kedah and Perlis.
This has raised fears of bush fires breaking out, with the resulting smoke leading to a return of the haze.
For the latest air quality readings, the public can visit apims.doe.gov.my