GFMC: Meterological Conditions and Fire in South East Asia

The Meteorological Services Division of Singapore provides a daily updated schematic of areas affected by fires and smoke haze within the South East Asian region. Additionally, regional surface winds are displayed.

The Integrated Forest Fire Management Project (IFFM) in Samarinda provides regulary updated hot spots maps of Kalimantan.

The Provincial Fire Management Center, Samarinda, reports on the weekly fire situation in East Kalimantan on 12 August 2002:
"Based on data from six weather stations (Indonesian Meterological Service) the following Fire Danger situation has been determined.
Average Fire Danger for all six location: Low

The Readiness level for East Kalimantan based and determined on Fire Danger Rating System (BMG), Hotspot (JICA), Weather Forecast (www.weather.com), Observed Smoke and Haze, Surface winds, Fire activities report from local fire services is Siaga III (one level above normal situation). The entire report is available at The entire report and description is attached to this e-mail.
For more detailed information, see also: Detailed weekly fire situation report of East Kalimantan, 12 August 2002 compiled and analyzed by the Provincial Fire Management Center, Samarinda.

The Forest Fire Prevention and Control Project (FFPCP)
The Forest Fire Prevention and Control Project (FFPCP) in Palembang (Sumatra) closed on 30 November 2001. The South Sumatra Forest Fire Management Project (SSFFMP) is expected to start within the second half of the year 2002 and will continue the work of FFPCP.
Meanwhile the daily fire map (hot-spot) and monthly drought index for Sumatra will continue to be updated from time to time.

Meanwhile the daily fire map (hot-spot) and monthly drought index for Sumatra will continue to be updated from time to time.

South East Asia Fire Monitoring by ANDES
The Asia Pacific Network for Disaster Mitigation using Earth Observation Satellite (ANDES) provides daily fire maps of mainland and insular South East Asia. The latest maps can be accessed through the ANDES website. The map below shows the latest fire map of mainland SE Asia (Thailand, Myanmar, Lao, Cambodia, Viet Nam).

Latest ANDES fire location map of mainland South East Asia.
The map is generated on the basis of two satellite sensors (NOOA-AVHRR, DMSP/OLS).
Source: ANDES

Review of Regional Weather and Smoke Haze
(Meteorological Service of Singapore 4 August 2002)
"Rainfall in the region in June and in the first 2 weeks of July 2002 has been below average over central and southern Sumatra and Kalimantan. As a result, increased occurrences of hotspots and smoke plumes have been detected on satellite pictures over central Sumatra and south/west Kalimantan. "

"Sea surface temperatures in the central tropical Pacific has seen widespread warming in June and July.
With SSTs at least 1 degree C above normal, sea surface conditions can be said to be consistent with that of a weak El Nino. ENSO forecasts continue to predict the continuation at least of a weak El Nino fo the rest of the year and into 2003.
Under this scenario, the impacts of this weak event in the region is not expected to reach the level of severity experienced during the strong 1997-98 El Nino, when extended dry weather conditions gave rise to widespread fires and prolonged thick smoke haze between August 1997 and April 1998.
However, with the current dry season in the region, increased occurrences of slight to moderate haze can be expected between July and October 2002."

See also: El Niño Outlook by WMO and IRI (27 March 2002)

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 background information refer to the ECPC products description page.



tomorrow	week 17 to 24 August	month August

Fire Weather Index (FWI) forecast for this week (left) and the predicted
FWI total for next 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.

The updated ASFWIS maps show fire weather, fuel conditions and fire behaviour parameters for South East Asia:


Fine Fuel Moisture Code	Duff Moisture Code	Drought Code


Initial Spread Index	Buildup Index	Fire Weather Index

Haze Prevention Group
The industrial initiative to combat haze in SE Asia provides a website which includes information about the objectives of this industrial initiative and projects implemented to reduce wildfires and haze in Indonesia.

For further information, please also have a look to the current and archived IFFN Country Notes.