Meteorological Conditions in South East Asia

16 September 1999


The Meteorological Service of Singapore reports on 15 September 1999 for the South East Asian region: "More hot spots were observed over Kalimantan, southern and central Sumatra. Some parts of Sumatra were covered with smoke haze".

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Fig.1. Regional Surface Winds and Haze/Hot Spot Map, 15 September 1999
(Source: http://www.gov.sg/metsin/hazed.html)
Forecasts of winds and surface pressure are available at http://www.gov.sg/metsin/flm.html

 

The GFMC displays selected and daily updated global and Asia-Pacific Experimental Climate Prediction Center (ECPC)  Fire Weather Forecasts (Fig.1-6). These examples allow a quicklook and provide daily and weekly total forecasts, and forecasted monthly anomalies (for next month). For background information refer to the ECPC products description page.

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tomorrow next week next month

Fig.2-7. Fire Weather Index (FWI) forecast for tomorrow (left), next week (center) and the predicted FWI anomaly for next month (right) for the Western Pacific and the Pacific Ocean. The daily forecast refers to 12:00 hrs noon UTC (Greenwich) time; the weekly total forecast and the monthly forecasted anomaly refer to 00:00 hrs UTC which is local noon at dateline (180° longitude). Forecast time is 12:00 hrs noon UTC (Greenwich) corresponding to local evening time in mainland and insular SE Asia (updated: 16 September 1999).
(Source: http://meteora.ucsd.edu/ecpc/)

 

The ASEAN Haze Action Online provides the following information:

The ASEAN Fire Weather Information System (ASFWIS) is a co-operation between ASEAN and the Canadian Forest Service. It provides maps describing the current fire weather situation in South East Asia. This system is based upon the Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System (CFFDRS) (for further infomation to the CFFDRS refer to ASFWIS). Studies have shown that the CFFDRS is applicable outside of Canada. Currently it is also used in a modified form in New Zealand (see References). In New Zealand  the Fire Weather Indices Fine Fuel Moisture Code (FFMC) and the Initial Spread Index (ISI) represent the fire danger in the scrublands. The Duff Moisture Code (DMC) is also applicable in South East Asia, because it potentially describes the moisture state of the upper peat layers in peat and peat swamp forests. All three parameters may serve as a suitable indicator of forest fire danger in South East Asia.

According to the ASFWIS for 15 / 16  September 1999 these parameters show various fire weather conditions over South East Asia.

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Fine Fuel Moisture Code Duff Moisture Code Drought Code
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Initial Spread Index Buildup Index Fire Weather Index

Fig.8.-13.  Output maps of the ASFWIS, 15 / 16 September 1999

The latest NOAA14 satellite images show hot spot locations in Sumatra and Kalimantan. "Hot spots" can be identified as red dots.

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Fig.14.-15. Latest NOAA Satellite image of Sumatra and Kalimantan, 15 September 1999
(Source: http://www.gov.sg/metsin/hazed.html)

The Forest Fire Prevention and Control Project (FFPCP) in Palembang (Sumatra) provides a fire overview map on 15 September 1999.

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Fig.16. Fire Overview Map for 15 September 1999 of the FFPCP project in Palembang.
(source: http://www.mdp.co.id/ffpcp/overview.htm)

The newest fire overview map for the Integrated Forest Fire Management (IFFM) project in Kalimantan shows 17 hotspots on the 13 September 1999.

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Fig.17. Fire Overview Map for 13 September 1999 of the IFFM project in Samarinda
(Source: http://www.iffm.or.id/hotspots_map.htm)

Summary: Although the current fire weather conditions do under normal conditions not favour extensive land clearing by fire or escaping wildfires in Indonesia, the consequences of the large wildfires of 1997-98 must been taken into consideration. These fires had caused extensive degradation of primary and secondary forests along with the spreading of "alang-alang" (Imperata cylindrica) grasslands. These grasslands facilitate the spread of uncontrolled fires over large areas.

See also the IFFN Country Notes.


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