The air quality in the country has improved significantly as at 7am today, with most areas registered 'moderate' or 'good' Air Pollutant Index (API) readings.

According to the Department of Environment (DOE), only three areas remained with unhealthy API readings, while 34 areas recorded moderate API levels and the other 16 areas had good API levels.

azlan The areas with unhealthy air quality are Nilai in Negri Sembilan, which registered an API reading of 144, Bukit Rambai in Malacca (111) and Banting in Selangor (104).

According to the API, a reading of 0-5 denotes good air quality; 51-100 (moderate); 101-200 (unhealthy); 201-300 (very unhealthy); above 301 (hazardous to human health).

Rain in most areas yesterday had helped reduce haze particles in the air and improved air quality.

The improvement was also helped by the prevailing southwest monsoon winds which were blowing at the speed of 10km/p/h and taking the smoky haze to other parts of Peninsular Malaysia.

Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department, announced that the wind condition would persist till today, with rain expected in the coastal areas of Penang, Kedah and Perak in the morning.

The department also said the air quality was expected to be further improved and stable if the number of hot spots of forest fires in central Sumatra, Indonesia, continued to decline.

- Bernama