Penang covered in fog, not haze: Environment exco

GEORGE TOWN: The hazy shroud covering Penang is not haze but fog, according to Penang Environment, Welfare and Caring Society Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh (pix).

He said fog happens when the temperature goes up after the morning rains.

He said the foggy situation would continue until the rainy season which is expected to begin next month.

He pointed out the average rainfall at present was 1,500mm compared to the average annual rainfall of 2,600mm.

"It is foggy and not hazy," he told theSun when contacted after many of the Penang landmarks like the Penang Bridge and Komtar looked blurred from a distance.

Checks of the Air Pollutant Index (API) at the Department of Environment website showed all three monitoring stations in Penang recording good to moderate air levels.

As at 1pm on July 25, the API for Balik Pulau was 39, the reading for Seberang Jaya was 47 and it was 49 for Perai.

Measurements of 50 and below are classed as good while readings between 51 to 100 are classed as moderate and anything above 300 is hazardous.

Meanwhile, checks at the Meteorology Malaysia website showed visibility in Bayan Lepas to be at 7km and 6km in Butterworth as at 11am while the reading for Prai was not available at the time of writing.