KUALA LUMPUR: Several locations in Negri Sembilan, Melaka and Johor reported a drop in air quality due to a slight haze enveloping the affected areas.
According to the Environment Department's Air Pollution Index (API), the air quality in Larkin and Batu Pahat in Johor dropped to unhealthy levels of 156 and 123, respectively, as of 3pm today.
Also logging unhealthy air quality readings are Bukit Rambai (152) and Bandaraya Melaka (109) in Melaka, as well as Nilai (151) and Port Dickson (143) in Negri Sembilan.
Cheras and Banting were the only areas in the Klang Valley and Selangor that registered unhealthy API readings.
Apart from the eight areas, the other area with unhealthy air quality was Seberang Jaya in Penang at 117.
Based on the department's API Management System (APIMS), air quality readings of 101 to 200 are categorised as "unhealthy".
The air quality drops to "very unhealthy" if an area registers an API reading of 201 to 300, while a reading of 300 and above is considered "hazardous".
Forty-nine of the department's air quality monitoring stations in the country reported moderate air quality readings of between 51 and 100. The remaining 10 of the total 68 stations nationwide registered good API readings below 50.