GFMC: Meteorological Conditions and Fire in South East Asia: 21 July 2000
Meteorological Conditions and Firein South East Asia
21 July 2000
Smog in SE Asia appears to recede, worries persist
Forest fires and plumes of smoke on Indonesia’s island of Sumatra appeared to be receding yesterday, helping to lift the smog that has covered parts of Malaysia and Thailand. The smog reached as far north as Thailand on Wednesday and has covered much of peninsula Malaysia since the weekend.
(Information Source: The full story by Jalil Hamid is published in Planet Ark, 21 July 2000).
Riau authorities fed up with continuing forest fires (information source: The Jakarta Post, 20 July 2000)
The Riau provincial administration is demanding that Minister of Forestry and Plantations Nurmahmudi Ismail revoke for good operating permits of errant companies holding forest concession which have caused fires. Most of the haze now afflicting the province is a result of fires set by the companies, deputy Riau governor Rustam S. Abrus said here on Wednesday. He made the statements after a meeting with officials of the Forest Fire Control Center, non-governmental organizations, journalists and Law and Order Team members. “We want the minister to revoke the companies’ permits. It is the minister who has the right to give such administrative punishment, and he has given his word for that,” Abrus was quoted by Antara news agency as saying. Forest concession holders have long been blamed for their habit of clearing new reforestation areas by burning. The forest fires have evoked catastrophe not only for Indonesians, but also those living in neighboring countries, including Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. Protests have been launched by the people there, but the Indonesian government still has not found an appropriate formula to stop the annual forest fire problem that causes serious air pollution. “If the minister fails to take prompt and appropriate steps, the companies will continue to operate and the haze problems will linger,” Abrus said. He said he hoped that the minister would summon the companies’ owners, and that the governor, regents and mayors would summon the companies’ on- site officials in their jurisdictions. According to the head of the Forestry Ministry’s provincial office in Riau, Darminto Soetono, in the period July 1 to July 14 there were 340 fires in 71 areas belonging to forestry and plantation firms, and locals. “Until July 14, we have sent first written warnings to six companies for their ignorance, and a second warning to one company,” he said. He said that 16 fire-related cases have been legally processed in court in the 1997-98 period, while in 1999 three people were punished for causing forest fires. “This year six cases are being processed for legal proceedings for similar offenses,” Darminto said.
Region
Meanwhile, Reuters reported on Wednesday that thin smog from Indonesia hit southern Thailand. In the first reports of smoke and haze in almost three years, the Thai meteorological office said air quality and visibility had deteriorated in the southern provinces of Songkhla, Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani over the last week. Airborne particulate matter of less than 10 microns was measured in the southern town of Hat Yai on Tuesday at 65 micrograms per cubic meter, a level considered safe, an official at the local health department said. “It would be considered harmful if it exceeded 120 micrograms per cubic meter,” the official said. Reports from Kuala Lumpur said that smog over northern Malaysia caused by forest fires in Indonesia abated on Wednesday, leaving just one area registering unhealthy levels of air quality. Three northern states, including the resort island of Penang, have been swathed in smoke since Friday. But on Wednesday they reported that air quality levels were no longer unhealthy, environmental officials said. “As of today, Taiping is the only place in the peninsula which is declared unhealthy,” said an official at the department of environment in Kuala Lumpur. Officials from the Olympic Council of Asia are visiting Malaysia to consider its bid to host the 2006 Asian Games and government officials said they privately feared the smog could ruin Malaysia’s chances. Officials in the northern state of Kedah said the air quality had improved to “moderate” from “unhealthy.” A reading between zero and 50 is considered to be “good”, 51 to 100 is “moderate” and above 100 is considered unhealthy. Malaysia’s Environment Minister Law Hieng Deng said on Tuesday he had told his Indonesian counterpart that Malaysia was concerned about the smog.
The Meteorological Service of Singapore reports on 20 July 2000 for the South East Asian region: “Fewer hot spots and improved haze situation were observed in the region. This is due to scattered showers over central Sumatra during the past 24 hours.” Forecasts of winds and surface pressure are also available.
Regional Surface Winds and Haze/Fire Map, 20 July 2000
(Source: Meteorological Service of Singapore)
Hot spots (red dots) and smoke haze detected by NOAA 14 in central and northern Sumatra on 20 July 2000
(Source: Meteorological Service of Singapore)
The same meteorological service also provides rainfall-record charts for selected locations in Sumatra and Kalimantan with information about the mean annual rainfall and the actual monthly and weekly records for this year.
Rainfall charts for Sumatra and Kalimantan
(Source: Meteorological Service of Singapore)
The GFMC displays selected and daily updated global and Asia-Pacific Experimental Climate Prediction Center (ECPC) Fire Weather Forecasts. These examples allow a quicklook and provide daily and weekly total forecasts, and forecasted monthly totals (for next month). For background information refer to the ECPC products description page.
tomorrow next week next month
Fire Weather Index (FWI) forecast for tomorrow (left), next week (center) and the predicted FWI total 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 total 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: 21 July 2000).
(Source: ECPC)
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 20 July 2000 these parameters show various fire weather conditions over South East Asia:
Fine Fuel Moisture Code
Duff Moisture Code
Drought Code
Initial Spread Index
Buildup Index
Fire Weather Index
Output maps of the ASFWIS (update 21 July 2000)
The ASEAN Haze Action Online provides the following information:
- Monitoring: Hyperlinks to institutions involved in regional monitoring and prediction of fire and smoke haze
- Haze News: ASEAN Transboundary Haze Update (updated daily)
- Intranet: Information and possible participation in the ASEAN Haze Action Online Intranet Information Services (for associated registered participants)
- Mobilization Plan: Model Fire Suppression Mobilization Plan
- Inventory: Inventory and analysis of forest and land fire suppression capabilities
- Haze Forum: Communication platform on fire and smoke-haze issues in the ASEAN region
- Calendar: Fire and haze-related events can be identified by a search modus
The Forest Fire Prevention and Control Project (FFPCP) in Palembang (Sumatra) provided a fire overview map for 20 July 2000.
Fire Overview Map for 20 July 2000 for Sumatra
(Source: FFPCP)
The Integrated Forest Fire Management Project (IFFM) in Samarinda (East Kalimantan) detected 20 hot spots on 19 July 2000.
Hot spot map of Kalimantan for 19 July 2000
(Source: IFFM)
The Southwest Monsoon has set in and with it the onset of generally dry weather over Singapore and the surrounding region. As the south-west winds increase in strength and persistency in the next 3 to 4 months, periods of dry weather can be expected from time to time. With each spell of relatively dry weather, increased forest fires and accompanying hotspots are likely. However, the prolonged widespread dry weather experienced in 1997 as a result of the strong El Nino is not likely to develop this year. As the current La Nina continues to weaken for the rest of the year, weather conditions are expected to return to normal. Hence in the current Southwest Monsoon season, while weather conditions are expected to be generally dry, occasional widespread squally pre-dawn and early morning showers are expected in the region on about 3 to 4 times per month between May and October. The occurrence of the widespread showers should help to prevent the recurrence of a similar 1997 widespread and prolonged smoke haze episode in the region. (Source: Meteorological Service of Singapore)
For further information, please also have a look to the current and archived IFFN Country Notes.
