Forest Fire Haze Reaches Aceh, Says BMKG
Translator
Ricky Mohammad Nugraha
Editor
Laila Afifa
Rabu, 18 September 2019 21:36 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) announced that the forest fire haze from a number of Sumatra provinces have made it to parts of Aceh and caused a decline in the region’s visibility.
“The forest fire haze possibly from the province in Sumatra [made its way] since Tuesday afternoon. There have been no hotspots detected from Aceh the past several days,” said BMKG data and information center head Zakaria Ahmad in Banda Aceh on Wednesday, September 18.
The haze is also believed to be steered by the 5-15 knots wind blasts from Indonesia’s western area that generally heads to the southeast.
BMKG’s Terra and Aqua satellite data reveals 498 hotspots across Sumatra that indicate the existence of forest and land fires, with the most affected area in South Sumatra (194), Jambi (174), and Riau (60).
However, the haze has not hampered the visibility of shipping activities at sea and air transports as it hasn’t reached Aceh’s mainland. The BMKG official warned, based on the prediction, that the haze might remain for the three days ahead.
“But there is potential that rain will fall over Aceh as it has in several parts of the region,” said Zakaria.
ANTARA
