People in many Northern provinces were suffering from thick smog as one of them, Chiang Mai, became the place of the world’s worst air pollution.
Smoke haze covered Chiang Mai and its Doi Suthep Mountain was virtually invisible.
At 4pm on Monday, the AirVisual website ranked Chiang Mai as the city with the worst air pollution in the world as its air quality index was at 220. The Faculty of Medicine at Chiang Mai University advised people to stay indoors, close their windows tightly, drink a lot of water and wear face masks if they have to go out.
Thick smog also happened in Mae Hong Son province that lies in a valley. Local residents had breathing difficulty and nose irritation. Such symptoms were severe especially among people with respiratory illness and allergy.
Local weathermen said vision was limited at only 1,000 meters and two commercial flights were cancelled due to the weather condition.
There were as many as 215 hotspots including 150 in national parks, 62 in forest reserves and three in communities. (TNA)
