Kalimantan Fires Send Haze

A thick haze from forest fires in neighbouring Indonesia’s Kalimantan region blanketed Metro Manila on Tuesday, pushing air pollution to dangerous levels as Philippine authorities warned the smoke could linger for days.

Footage shows hazy skies over Quezon City, Mandaluyong City and San Juan City, with buildings and parts of the skyline disappearing behind a grey veil of pollution.

PM2.5 Reaches Dangerous Levels

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Environmental Management Bureau said the haze contained high levels of PM2.5, fine particles small enough to penetrate deep into the respiratory system. The agency linked the pollution to smoke from the Kalimantan fires being carried towards the Philippines by prevailing winds.

Dr Gerry Bagtasa, professor at the University of the Philippines Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology, said a strong southwest monsoon was carrying the smoke across the equator, with tropical cyclones north of the Philippines strengthening the winds.

“It’s because of the very strong southwest monsoon, so winds are in fact coming from the western part of Kalimantan where the fires are. And these winds, the reason they are very strong right now, because of the tropical cyclones to the north of the Philippines,” he said.

Smoke Expected To Persist

The Environmental Management Bureau said the haze could continue affecting parts of the Philippines from September 1 to September 3, while fires remain active and the southwest monsoon continues carrying smoke northwards.

Bagtasa also warned that the pollution could persist for longer if the weather pattern holds, with El Nino conditions contributing to the severity of the fires