KUCHING, Sept 4 — The Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) has warned of an elevated risk of transboundary haze in the border region between West Kalimantan and western Sarawak, as less rainfall is predicted in most parts of the Borneo island during the dry season which is expected to peak this month.
ASMC said the situation was also not helped with Indonesia currently seeing many forest and land fires occurring throughout West, South and Central Kalimantan.
“Moderate to dense smoke haze was observed to cover southern and southeastern Kalimantan and drift towards the northwest from satellite imagery.
“Slight to moderate smoke haze was also observed over parts of West Kalimantan, drifting northwards into western Sarawak,” said the Singapore-based centre which monitors transboundary haze and forest fires in all Southeast Asian countries (Asean).
Apart from that, the ASMC said clusters of scattered hotspots were also detected in Kalimantan and the prolonged dry weather conditions may lead to an escalation in hotspot and haze activity.
This is particularly in the fire-prone areas such as western and southern Borneo, it added.
“In the coming days, dry weather is expected to persist over most parts of the southern Asean region except for Peninsular Malaysia, northern Sumatra and northeastern Borneo where showers are likely,” said ASMC.
ASMC also said that from July to September this year, an increased chance of below-normal rainfall is predicted for much of the southern Asean region while El Niño conditions are expected to become established during July-August 2023, and then likely to strengthen gradually over the second half of 2023.
Adding to that, a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is likely to develop during July-August 2023. Warmer-than-normal temperature is predicted for most of the Asean region for JAS 2023 as well, it added.
“This means that increased risk of elevated hotspot activity and smoke haze occurrence can be expected over the fire-prone areas of the southern Asean region during extended periods of dry weather.”
ASMC said with an El Niño and a positive IOD forecast to develop during the outlook period, the risk of elevated hotspot activities and transboundary haze occurrence this year is highest since 2019.
“However, there is still some uncertainty in the strength of the potential El Niño event, with models prediction ranging from borderline to strong El Niño conditions in the outlook period.
“In the northern Asean region, the hotspot activity is expected to remain low under the prevailing wet weather during the outlook period,” it added.
Meanwhile, on August 31, Indonesian daily Kompas reported that the number of hotspots in West Kalimantan — the Indonesian region closest to Sarawak — had increased, while operations to extinguish forest and land fires through land routes were still ongoing.
The daily also quoted a Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency observationalist at the Supadio Airport in Pontianak, Tika, as saying that hotspots in West Kalimantan on August 29 amounted to 536 spots.
“These hotspots were scattered throughout almost all districts or cities in West Kalimantan. The highest number of hot spots was found in Ketapang Regency, which amounted to 194 spots,” it added. — Borneo Post Online
