TEMPO.CO, Padang - Thin haze is blanketing West Sumatera on Thursday, March 27, 2014, due to forest fires in the neighboring province of Riau. Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency’s head of observation and information Budi Sudarmadji confirmed the report on Thursday.
Budi said the visibility near the Minangkabau International Airport dropped to 5,000 meters from 6,000 meters, while that of Pekanbaru ranged from 2,000 to 4,000 meters.
“This condition is normal and the air quality is moderate,” he said.
Budi said satellite NOAA 18 had detected 118 hotspots in Sumatra, mostly in Riau. He added the rest were found in Aceh, North Sumatera, Jambi and South Sumatra.
Minangkabau International Airport Police chief First Inspector Jhon Herman also confirmed thin haze were surrounding the airport.
“It’s started again. But it’s not thick,” he told Tempo.
Thin haze also occurs in Padang Panjang, dropping visibility in the area.
ANDRI EL FARUQI