Residents in Hat Yai are being advised to wear masks during outdoor activities as haze from Indonesia has pushed PM2.5 levels in the southern city to levels that could affect public health.
The Air Pollution and Health Effect Research Centre at Prince of Songkla University report that a plume of smoke from Indonesia moved into Hat Yai district of Songkhla province this morning.
At 8.10am, PM2.5 concentrations reached 89.0 microgrammes per cubic metre (µg/m³), according to the centre.
Hat Yai Municipality reported PM2.5 readings at three monitoring stations at 8.30am.
The station at the Hat Yai Municipal Office recorded 76.0µg/m³, while the reading at Jiranakorn Stadium was 72.7µg/m³.
A third station, 44T in the Phru Mae Son area, recorded a 24-hour average PM2.5 concentration of 13.7µg/m³.
The research centre said numerous hotspots had been detected on Indonesia’s Sumatra Island, with winds continuing to carry smoke from the fires towards Hat Yai.
Main photo: Haze from Indonesia blankets Hat Yai city, pushing PM2.5 levels to unhealthy levels.//Photo by the Air Pollution and Health Effect Research Center
