{News} 080801 Sumatra hot spots spell hazy days ahead

Sumatra hot spots spell hazy days ahead
Dry weather and fires burning in Indonesia are bad news for S'pore

The Straits Times, Aug 1, 2008
By Salim Osman, Indonesia Correspondent In Jakarta and Tania Tan
IN SINGAPORE/IN JAKARTA - SINGAPORE'S 43rd birthday next week may be a hazy one.
Dry spells in parts of neighbouring Indonesia have led to fires flaring up in north and central Sumatra, said the National Environment Agency (NEA).


Over 350 hotspots were detected on Friday, up from about 300 the day before.
While still a long way from the 8,000 hotspots recorded in 2006, during Singapore's worst recent episode of haze, 'this is probably just the beginning', said Mr Chia Aik Song.
The associate scientist with the Centre for Remote Imaging, Sensing and Processing from the National University of Singapore added: 'If the weather continues, then we may have a problem.'
According to NEA, the forecast for the next two weeks is more dry weather. So expect more hot spots in Sumatra. And depending on the wind direction, the acrid pall could be headed this way.
'If fires occur in forest and plantation land in Sumatra next week, you can expect the wind to blow the smoke towards Malaysia and Singapore,' said Mr Blucher Doloksaribu, weather analyst from Indonesia's Meteorology and Geophysics agency (BMG).


More fires are expected this month in Indonesia as the peak of the dry season coincides with farmers and plantation workers stepping up their land clearing activities, warn weathermen and environmentalists in Indonesia.

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/STIStory_263506.html

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