Haze in Southeast Asia

[Chacor]

I'm feeling the effects of it right now. Singapore's pollution index recorded its highest reading (150) today since September 1997 (226). Visibility has dropped over 75% from 10 km to 3 km here, and down to 50 metres in some areas of Indonesia.

BBC article
Some MODIS imagery:
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Natura ... g_id=13914
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Natura ... g_id=13912
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Natura ... g_id=13916

Singapore pollution index readings: http://app.nea.gov.sg/psi/

The media and the National Environment Agency both claim that this is partially due to the ongoing El Niño. The last major haze event we had also occurred during an El Niño.

[Aslkahuna]

Yes, during an El Niño, Indonesia is usually quite dry and the slash and burn fires get out of hand as do the field clearing fires (Rice stubble must be burned off before replanting) generating a lot of smoke. OTOH we get a lot of smoke into the SW US from field and slash/burn fires in Central America and Mexico every Spring as well.

Steve

[AussieMark]

I remember in 1997 when the monsoon was late. Most of SE asia choked under intense smoke from all the fires in the tropical forests of Indonesia

[Chacor]

Yesterday, exactly a week after this post, the haze again creeped past 100 - it was 116 at 10 p.m. last night. It's again heading upwards now, and I won't be surprised if it crosses 150.

[Hybridstorm_November2001]

I remember in 1997 when the monsoon was late. Most of SE asia choked under intense smoke from all the fires in the tropical forests of Indonesia

Indeed. It has the return of El Nino written all over it. One of the few certainties in large scale Weather Forecasting these days (thanks to fantastic research performed over the better part of a century), is the general Global Impacts of this Phenomena.