GFMC: Meterological Conditions and Fire in South East Asia: 6 July 2001
Meteorological Conditions and Firein South East Asia
6 July 2001
The Meteorological Service of Singapore reports on 5 July 2001 for the South East Asian region: “Fairly staedy southeast winds turning into southwest towards the north prevailed over this region. Several hot spots with patches of smoke/haze were observed in Borneo and Sumatra.” Forecasts of winds and surface pressure are also available.
Regional Surface Winds and Haze/Fire Map, 5 July 2001
(Source: Meteorological Service of Singapore)
NOAA-AVHRR 12 Hot Spot detection on Kalimantan and Sumatra (3 July 2001)
(Source: Meteorological Service of Singapore)
Review
Apart from brief periods of dry weather, the Southwest monsoon season in the region has been mostly wet up to third week of June 2001. However, weather conditions have become drier towards the end of June 2001 and into the first 3 days of July 2001. Consequently, hotspots counts over Sumatra and Kalimantan in May and June 2001 have been low with a large number of days with few or no hotspots detected. However, since the 1st July 2001, the number of hotspots has increased significantly from 81 to 154 on 2 July 2001 over Sumatra and from 14 to 77 over Borneo.
(SOURCE: Meteorological Service of Singapore)
Hot Spots Counts over Sumatra and Kalimantan
(Source: Meteorological Service of Singapore)
The Meteorological Service of Singapore 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 last 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 this month). For background information refer to the ECPC products description page.
tomorrow next week this month
Fire Weather Index (FWI) forecast for today (left), next week (center) and the predicted
FWI total for this month (right) for the Western Pacific (1-3) and the Pacific Ocean (4-6) regions.
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.
(Source: ECPC Fire Weather Index Forecast)
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 5 July 2001 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
Keetch-Byram-Drought Index
Output maps of the ASFWIS, 5 July 2001
(Source: ASFWIS)
The Forest Fire Prevention and Control Project (FFPCP) in Palembang (Sumatra) provided an Hot Spot overview map on 3 July 2001
Fire overview map for Sumatra (5 July 2001)
(Source: FFPCP)
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
Outlook for drought and El Niño: See GFMC early warning report of 21 February 2001: Drought Warning for Indonesia but no El Niño expected.
For further information, please also have a look to the current and archived IFFN Country Notes.
