The air quality has returned to unhealthy level in Batu Muda in Kusalas Lumpur, with the Air Pollutants Index (API) reading at 106 at 3pm as compared to the moderate level of 56 at 9am.

The last time the Batu Muda area had air quality at the unhealthy level was on Sept 15 when the API reading reached 142.

There was not much change in the four areas which had unhealthy air quality this morning with the 3pm API readings for Balok Baru, Kuantan being 132, Kemaman and Bandaraya Melaka (127) and Indera Mahkota, Kuantan (114).

The number of areas with moderate air quality has also risen to 37 at 3pm, with the latest to see poorer air quality being Cheras, Kuala Lumpur (100), Putrajaya (99), Bukit Rambai (96), Kuching (93), Port Dickson (92), Sri Aman (91) and Port Klang (86).

An API reading of 0 to 50 indicates good air quality; 51 to 100, moderate; 101 to 200, unhealthy; 201 to 300, very unhealthy and 300 and above, hazardous.

The public can visit the website at http://apims.doe.gov.my to know the current API readings.

Four areas recorded air quality at the unhealthy level as of 9am today, with Balok Baru in Pahang having the highest Air Pollutants Index (API) reading, at 128.

According to the Department of Environment's (DOE) portal, the three other areas were Kemaman, Terengganu (127), Indera Mahkota, Pahang (116) and Malacca City (109).

Thirty-five areas had API readings at the moderate level including Paka (97), Larkin Lama (92), Pasir Gudang (88), Muar (81), Kuala Terengganu (80), Kota Kinabalu (56) and Sandakan (54).

Meanwhile, 14 areas saw the air quality improve to the good level, among them Tawau (50), Sebarang Jaya 2, Perai (49), Seri Manjung (36), Alor Setar (24) and Kangar (20).

Winds bring relief in S'pore

There has been improvement in the haze situation in Singapore since early this morning, due to a shift in the prevailing winds, according to Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA).

However, NEA said slightly hazy conditions were still expected in the republic as moderate to dense haze still persisted in Sumatra.

As at 1pm today, the 24-hour pollutant standard index (PSI) read from 93 to 110, in the moderate to unhealthy ranges, and the three-hour PSI was 75.

The 24-hr PSI for the next 12 hours is expected to be in the high end of the moderate range and the low end of the unhealthy range.

- Bernama