Phuket health advisory issued over forest fire haze

[webfact]

Phuket health advisory issued over forest fire haze
Saroj Kueprasertkij


The forest-fire haze shrouds the horizon in Phuket. Photo: Tanyaluk Sakoot

PHUKET: -- The health chief for Phuket has issued an advisory for people with breathing difficulties, as well as children and the elderly, to stay indoors, away from the haze that has descended on Phuket today (August 27).

“People with heart or lung conditions are urged to please be careful. If your chest begins to hurt, you develop a headache or it becomes difficult to breath, please see a doctor,” said Dr Bancha Kakong, Director of the Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO), in a press release issued today.

His office had yet to receive any reports of breathing-related conditions brought on by the haze, he added.

An officer at the Natural Resources and Environment Phuket office told The Phuket News that the regional NRE head office in Songkhla had confirmed that the haze originated from forest fires in the south of Sumatra, Indonesia.

The northern tip of Sumatra is just over 285km southwest of Phuket.

“Data from satellites reporting to the US government global environmental scientific research centre National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have identified that the haze is from forest fires on Sumatra,” the officer said.

NOAA satellites identified 152 forest fires on Sumatra on Tuesday (August 25). That number fell to 29 forest fires identified yesterday (August 26), he added.

Although the number of fires raging in Sumatra is falling, the fallout in Phuket as of yesterday saw the pollution particulate measure in Phuket register 58 micrograms per cubic metre.

Satun province, south of Phuket, recorded the worst air quality in Southern Thailand, with a reading of 83 PM10, while Surat Thani recorded a reading of just 41 PM10.

According to the NRE, a reading of under 40 is considered “Good”, from 41-120 “Average” and any readings between 121-350 is marked “Affects health”.

“This level of pollution should not cause any breathing difficulties,” the NRE officer said. “However, if people do develop any health issues related to air quality, they should see a doctor immediately.”

The Pollution Control Department Phuket office said that it did not expect the air quality to pose a health risk.

“But any persons with respiratory disorders should avoid going outside,” one office said.

At Phuket Airport, Air Control Supervisor Phanusit Kalajak said the haze had so far not affected any flights.

“All flights are still operating as usual. Sometimes the weather in Phuket is worse than this,” he said.

Additional reporting by Tanyaluk Sakoot

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-health-advisory-issued-over-forest-fire-haze-53838.php


-- Phuket News 2015-08-27

[Pomthai]

Doesn't have the forest fire stink to it as far I can tell. Seems more like fog.

My android weather app says fog and dew point is up at 25C so it kinda makes sense to be foggy.

Edited August 27, 2015 by Pomthai

[madmitch]

The Thai Meteorological Department has also said that it's not forest fire haze but weather conditions. Obviously that news hasn't filtered through to Phuket's health guru.

[Guest]

I also think that it's fog, not smog.

I just wonder how the sunset will look like today at the west coast.

Kind of a of spooky view at the east today.

20150827-IMG_0192.jpg by Pekka Oilinki, on Flickr

[chiang mai]

This is pretty rich, smog from burning in Sumatra gets government health advisories right off the bat. But if the smog is locally sourced it takes massive complaints from all and sundry before the burning is acknowledged!

[Guest]

I might change my mind after all. Even though I don't smell heavy presence of smoke in the air, this phenomena, which happens pretty much every year, seems to follow the times when smog is reported in Singapore and in Malaysia.

Of course it could be that the stagnant air keeps all the smoke from escaping the lower atmosphere. This could cause the smog in Singapore and Fog in Phuket at the same time.

We have had the same discussion here on TV at least twice in the past couple of years.

[bobfish]

Temp yesterday 27 to 31c. Dew point 24 to 25c. Visibility at the airport 3000 to 4000 metres in "mist" . Smells like smoke to me, with Relative Humidity too low; I'll go with smoke haze.

(Tech point: fog has visibility less than 1000m)

Hopefully some respite today if it rains..

[steelepulse]

Too funny that yesterday we get a blatant falsehood telling us it's water in the air and not pollution from Indo burning as they do every year. Now the correct information is reported so we can play pin the tail on the donkey (Indo). Heavy smell of smoke this morning outside and visibility is worse than yesterday.

[xylophone]

Too funny that yesterday we get a blatant falsehood telling us it's water in the air and not pollution from Indo burning as they do every year. Now the correct information is reported so we can play pin the tail on the donkey (Indo). Heavy smell of smoke this morning outside and visibility is worse than yesterday.

Agree...........read in the Phuket Gazette yesterday that the Meteorological Department said the haze outside of my windows was caused by humidity and dust. Then I went outside and smelled the "burning/smoke" odour!!!

Blowing smoke out of their <deleted> again.......perhaps that's what caused it?

[Guest]

aqicn.org reports Air quality as Moderate: 78

http://aqicn.org/city/thailand/phuket/municipal-health-center-1/

Thaivisa Phuket forum in 2010, talking about the same thing. Started on August 11th, about the same time of the year.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/414889-smog-in-phuket/

Edited August 28, 2015 by Guest

[islandguy]

Just back from Singapore, very hazy there.

[ToddinChonburi]

More good news.

[LivinginKata]

Too funny that yesterday we get a blatant falsehood telling us it's water in the air and not pollution from Indo burning as they do every year. Now the correct information is reported so we can play pin the tail on the donkey (Indo). Heavy smell of smoke this morning outside and visibility is worse than yesterday.

Agree...........read in the Phuket Gazette yesterday that the Meteorological Department said the haze outside of my windows was caused by humidity and dust. Then I went outside and smelled the "burning/smoke" odour!!!

Blowing smoke out of their <deleted> again.......perhaps that's what caused it?

.

I have no idea who they think they are fooling. Was obvious to me yesterday morning that it was the annual smoke haze from Sumatra.

[grumpyoldman]

Guess I'll skip the run today, didn't feel any effects (burning chest, short of breath) after the run yesterday.