KUALA LUMPUR: The eruption of Indonesia's Mount Ruang has not directly affected the air quality in Sarawak.
The Sarawak Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) said it was monitoring the air quality at five stations — Lundu, Tebedu, Lubok Antu, Bario and Lawas.
"Based on readings from the air quality monitoring stations since 8am on April 17, the Air Pollutant Index (API) readings have been good to moderate.
"API readings from the Department of Environment (DoE) show that most areas of Sarawak are within the good to moderate range and no unhealthy readings have been recorded," the NREB said.
It said the hot weather in most areas of Sarawak was caused by the monsoon transition phase and the El Nino phenomenon.
It said during the El Nino phenomenon, Malaysia and other parts of Southeast Asia tend to experience prolonged droughts.
"Based on the monitoring report released by the Malaysian Meteorological Department on March 31, the El Nino phenomenon is expected to last until June.
"The current hot weather is not caused by the eruption of Mount Ruang.
"In this hot weather, the public should refrain from open burning, which can exacerbate the situation. The public is advised to report open burning cases to the NREB and DoE," the NREB said.