Southeast Asian haze vanishes

He said there were some very slight pockets of smoke over Kalimantan and southern Sumatra, but generally it was quite clear and Singapore has been basking in clear weather since early November.

Bush fires in Indonesia’s Kalimantan and Sumatra regions were largely blamed for the widespread air pollution which affected millions of people in Southeast Asia and drove many foreign tourists away from the region.

The northeast monsoon lasting from around mid-November to late February brings winds and rains to Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, the countries worst affected by the haze, which reportedly reached as far as Sri Lanka to the West and the Philip pines to the East.

Wong said that based on the latest weather satellite pictures, “hardly any hot spots can be seen” in Kalimantan and Sumatra.Hot spots indicate possible fires but the information has to be verified on the ground.

An official of Malaysia’s Meteorological Department was also optimistic.