ROMPIN, BANTING API AT UNHEALTHY LEVELS
9 states at Level 1 alert, Pendang in Kedah at Level 2
THE air quality in Rompin, Pahang, and Banting, Selangor, has reached the unhealthy level of the Air Pollutant Index (API) of the Department of Environment.
A reading at the Rompin API station up to 9am showed that the API had touched 171, while it reached 102 in Banting.
Another 62 API stations nationwide recorded moderate readings, while only two stations saw good air quality. No stations registered a hazardous reading.
An API reading between 0 and 50 is good, 51 to 100 is moderate, while 100 to 200 is classified as unhealthy, 200 to 300 as very unhealthy and more than 300 is hazardous.
Nine states are reported to be at Level 1 alert. Pendang in Kedah is at Level 2 (heatwave), with temperatures between 37°C and 40°C.
Based on a Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) update, as at 5.20pm yesterday, 21 areas were at Level 1 with temperatures between 35 °C and 37°C.
The areas listed include Chuping in Perlis; Kota Setar, Sik, Baling and Kulim (Kedah); Hulu Perak, Kuala Kangsar, Kinta and Batang Padang (Perak); Jerantut, Raub, Temerloh, Maran and Bentong (Pahang); Sepang and Petaling (Selangor).
Also listed were Port Dickson (Negri Sembilan), Melaka Tengah (Melaka), Tangkak in Johor and here.
The heatwave is expected to last for three consecutive days.
Sabah and Sarawak recorded daily maximum temperatures of less than 35 °C.