Smoke, Smog, Dust 2016-2017 Chiang Mai

[sup3r1or]

I think it's because there's nothing there! Draw a line between Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son and there's very little inbetween apart from mounntains, there's only really one road.

U better broaden your horizon and take a trip beyond the city there are much more people living there than you think.

And a whole lot of land deforested for corn plantations. Last time I headed north out of Mae Chaem, the land started to look very bleak. At the left turn to Khun Yuam, there was not a tree in site, only corn plantations.

Screenshot from 2016-03-14 20-18-33.png

Yes and it is not evem corn for people. Mainly for cattle. CP dictates prices for corn here and making a killing. Decided to make it look like they want to help by providing 10.000 bht per village to discourage burning (10 bht per person?) For a couple that has billions of dollars.

Sent from my SM-N920C using Tapatalk

[Konini]

Although we can never argue with the figures, the smog seems to have been the worst so far today, unless it's just the cumulative build-up in my lungs making it seem worse.

Also, for wont of a better place to ask, has it been very hot the last 2 or 3 days or is it just me? I haven't been keeping an eye on the forecasts, but I've really noticed the heat, today in particular.

[vivid]

Although we can never argue with the figures, the smog seems to have been the worst so far today, unless it's just the cumulative build-up in my lungs making it seem worse.

Also, for wont of a better place to ask, has it been very hot the last 2 or 3 days or is it just me? I haven't been keeping an eye on the forecasts, but I've really noticed the heat, today in particular.

Figures and data is for that particular air quality measuring station.

Here's a picture.

[blueyeshk]

https://www.change.org/p/chiang-mai-governor-improve-haze-pollution-information-for-public-health-in-northern-thailand#petition-letter

Sign it better than to look out of the window

Edited March 15, 2016 by blueyeshk

[chiang mai]

I think it's because there's nothing there! Draw a line between Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son and there's very little inbetween apart from mounntains, there's only really one road.

U better broaden your horizon and take a trip beyond the city there are much more people living there than you think.

It's not easy on that map to see where that area without fires is. exactly. Looks like the valley west of Inthanon. Mae Chaem area?

Then maybe the answer lies in wind currents, the wind map continually shows, uniquely, winds from the West in that location:

http://www.windfinder.com/weather-maps/forecast/thailand#5/13.149/101.493

[Konini]

Here's a picture.

Yuck!

[sup3r1or]

The smoke numbers keep on climbing in phayao at 130 already.

Sent from my SM-N920C using Tapatalk

[whiterussian]

Time to buy a new paddling pool, and install a misting hosepipe thing. Arrrghhh!

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/April-could-see-record-heat-in-the-North-and-North-30281773.html

RECORD high temperature is expected in the North and Northeast during the peak of summer in April this year, revealed the Meteorological Department.

Climatological Centre director Chalalai Jamphon yesterday revealed that this summer would be hotter than the previous year.
The average high temperature in April will be 43 to 44 degrees Celsius, within range of the record 44.5 degree Celsius recorded in 1960

Edited March 17, 2016 by whiterussian

[chiang mai]

"ruled out any threat to life from the heat wave compared to countries with colder climate such as in Europe and North America".

That's reassuring, I was getting worried for a moment!!!

But honestly, an average high of 433/44 is very hot.

[whiterussian]

"ruled out any threat to life from the heat wave compared to countries with colder climate such as in Europe and North America".

That's reassuring, I was getting worried for a moment!!!

But honestly, an average high of 433/44 is very hot.

Death valley USA

Average high (°C)

(19.4)

(22.9)

(27.8)

(32.5)

(38.1)

(43.3) june

(46.9) july

(45.9) aug

(41.4)

(33.8)

(25.1)

(18.4)

(33)

hmmm:

Edited March 17, 2016 by whiterussian

[chiang mai]

Except the average high humidity is only about 28% in Death Valley in April whereas in Chiang Mai, last April, was 70%

https://weather-and-climate.com/average-monthly-Rainfall-Temperature-Sunshine,Chiang-Mai,Thailand

https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KNID/2015/4/15/MonthlyHistory.html?req_city=Death+Valley&req_state=CA&req_statename=&reqdb.zip=92328&reqdb.magic=1&reqdb.wmo=99999

Edited March 17, 2016 by chiang mai

[vivid]

Past 24 hours hotspots. Not 48 hrs. Not 72 hrs. Not past week.

Edited March 17, 2016 by vivid

[vivid]

Edited March 17, 2016 by vivid

[vivid]

So that's the Thailand side of the mountain range and not the Myanmar side, correct? (sorry, I live Singapore so I don't know the grounds there)

[chiang mai]

An excellent set of pictures and charts vivid. I don't know what others see but what I see is, a fire map showing lots of fires burning in Myanmar, the wind map showing wind currents from the West and the photographs showing clear air over Myanmar and dirty air over Chiang Mai Province, does anyone else agree with that? Coastal effect anyone!

[vivid]

Chiang Mai, lol... yeah that's about it.

And Chiang Rai, Lampang, Phrae are getting quite a fair bit of smoke right now/today.

Edited March 18, 2016 by vivid

[chiang mai]

To be clear that set of pictures supports the concept of blown in pollution (adding to homegrown pollution) far more clearly than anything I've ever seen before.

[vivid]

Chiang Rai station 73t hit a peak of 1-hr PM10 350 ug/m3 for 1hr today.

Hanoi is at PM2.5 1-hr AQI 181 peak now (no health advisories tied to 1hr). That's about PM2.5 135 ug/m3 thereabouts.

See today's satellite pic. I will probably be posting on a near daily basis, as long as the situation warrants it. I will also be compressing it down to well below 200k, so don't worry about your bandwidth getting all sucked up.

Edited March 18, 2016 by vivid

[heybruce]

I know the air is bad but it doesn't seem nearly as bad as in years past. The mountains are visible through the haze, the sky is grayish-blue and the moon is shining brightly at night. This time last year it was a lot worse. I don't know if the relatively good (or not as bad) conditions are due to weather patterns or because the drought has left less vegetation to burn.

[blueyeshk]

I know the air is bad but it doesn't seem nearly as bad as in years past. The mountains are visible through the haze, the sky is grayish-blue and the moon is shining brightly at night. This time last year it was a lot worse. I don't know if the relatively good (or not as bad) conditions are due to weather patterns or because the drought has left less vegetation to burn.

Most likely your observation is correct last and previous years this time we had already double the figures than what we got now but does it really matter if you lose your life in an accident and on top a leg? Edited March 18, 2016 by blueyeshk

[vivid]

Yes, the figures don't seem as bad vs last year. However, I do remember folks saying that last year was really really bad. So.....

In fact, unofficially, the 24-hr PM10 figures for 1 place broke 2007's previous record. I think it was what....24-hr 386 ug/m3 PM10? WOW!

I was following that very closely and "hyping it up" then, but the news did not pick that up (trying not to spread fear I guess ).

I even did screenshots of aqmthai showing that super high figure and new record. 24-hr average of 386 ug/m3 PM10 for 1 station. Legit, no lies at all.

The pics are of small sizes, hope you guys don't mind

36t Chiang Mai

Mae Hon Song, Chiang Rai etc.

Edited March 19, 2016 by vivid

[vivid]

Some of the highest peaks reached in 2015 last year. I believe some places hit 600+ ug/m3 for 2 or 3 hours.

Edited March 19, 2016 by vivid

[Berkshire]

Chiang Rai station 73t hit a peak of 1-hr PM10 350 ug/m3 for 1hr today.

Hanoi is at PM2.5 1-hr AQI 181 peak now (no health advisories tied to 1hr). That's about PM2.5 135 ug/m3 thereabouts.

See today's satellite pic. I will probably be posting on a near daily basis, as long as the situation warrants it. I will also be compressing it down to well below 200k, so don't worry about your bandwidth getting all sucked up.

I just posted on the Chiang Rai forum asking about the air over there. I just looked at the AQI and was shocked that CR is at 174 this morning. Hope that nastiness doesn't roll down CM way.

[vivid]

I just posted on the Chiang Rai forum asking about the air over there. I just looked at the AQI and was shocked that CR is at 174 this morning. Hope that nastiness doesn't roll down CM way.Err,..

You are right. MHS is also getting super smoked out right about now.

1-hr PM10 AQI. (do no confuse or compare with aqmthai.com's 24-hr AQI)

[vivid]

Seems to have peaked today (aqmthai = 1hr PM10 of 439 ug/m3)

[vivid]

Lampang, MHS and Chiang Rai are getting smoked.

PM10 only. PM2.5 ug/m3 is lower, but converted to AQI should be much more.

(note : health advisory is only applicable for 24-hr mean figures)

[vivid]

For 24 hour mean, Chiang Rai is the worst. 24-hr PM10 of 282 ug/m3 as of now on aqmthai.com.

Suspect 24-hr PM2.5 should be around 200 ug/m3? Health advisory is that > PM2.5 150 ug/m3 24-hr is Very Unhealthy and > 250 ug/m3 is hazardous.

A layman's way of quick conversion with what you see on aqicn is that if the PM10 colour indication is Orange, then the PM2.5 is RED. If PM10 is RED, then PM2.5 is purple. If PM10 is Purple, then PM2.5 is dark brown.

Also, those very high 1-hr spikes of PM10 500+ ug/m3 and maybe PM2.5 400+ ug/m3 may present a big issue esp for those in the Sensitive Groups. Pls check the first page for the 1-hr and 8-hr mean breakpoints.

You do not wait for 24-hrs, if you are in the Sensitive/Susceptible Group. So, do be mindful if for eg your 24-hr PM10 is already like CR's 282 ug/m3, and suddenly there is a deterioration for 1hr due to a spike to 600 ug/m3. That could be immediately hazardous even to normal pax without health issues.

So far the levels are still not Armageddon levels in which 1-hr or 30 mins figures pose an issue. Those are more like China/middle east sandstorm or Indonesian Kalimantan haze levels.

Pls take note.

Edited March 20, 2016 by vivid

[Puwa]

I bet there's a market for cheap but accurate air-quality sensors connected to mobile apps. A vast array of crowdsourced data from every corner of the country, or world, would be so much better than a few government numbers.

[jonwilly]

I did a runner this year, down south to the seaside PKK.

I still mail my CM based friends and they tell me that it's much like last year when I did not go away.

My bags were packed and had the Smog turned bad I would have been off.

Last year was comparatively mild on the smog front, as is CM today according to my acquaintances.

If you think it wasn't then you don't live in CM or have any practical experience of smog.

Prachuap is lovely, the sea breeze is to die for, not much chance unlike the Mythical CM.

john

As Joe said

If you've got to measure it then you have no change.

[vivid]

Ouch, MHS 58t figures are not low also. 24-hr PM10 = 269 ug/m3 as of 1100h.

Absolutely DO AVOID any outdoor activity during the PM10 400+ ug/m3 peaks, eg running or cycling. Heck, 300 ug/m3 is not safe also even for healthy pax.

The PM2.5 shd not be very far behind, and as advised above, you can just raise 1 level for PM2.5 as a quick and dirty method for present situation, eg RED PM10 = Purple PM2.5 AQI.