BANGKOK, 16 July 2014 – Yala’s air quality has improved after yesterday’s bout of heavy rains has helped clear up the smog-filled skies.
Thick haze and smog drifted over from Indonesia to cover parts of Yala yesterday, causing skin and eye irritation among residents.
Smoke from forest fires on Sumatra is an annual dry season hazard that often affects neighbouring Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand every year in June and July. The southern region is usually worst affected by the smog.
Over the past weeks, Yala had been sporadically covered in haze but the situation did not reach a critical point. Local disaster units have prepared measures to protect residents, particularly those at risk of respiratory problems, from the smog.
