Chiang Mai continues to experience forest fires, with 328 hotspots detected throughout Wednesday (March 6) while at 7 p.m., it ranked as the world’s worst air quality, according to the IQAir website.
Officials are still working to extinguish the fires, causing thick in Northern provinces. The Environmental and Pollution Control Office issued a statement advising residents of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lamphun, and Mae Hong Son to avoid outdoor activities and wear PM2.5 protective gear.
Additionally, smoke haze from neighboring countries is blowing in due to wind currents, leading to PM2.5 levels exceeding the standard at all monitoring stations in Chiang Mai. In some areas, hourly PM2.5 levels from the weather change data center at Chiang Mai University have exceeded 500 micrograms per cubic meter.
The toxic haze covering several provinces in the northern region, mostly originating from cross-border haze due to neighboring countries’ burning season, is evident from satellite images showing thousands of hotspots, including along the Mae Sai border in Chiang Rai.
Officials and locals must work together to prevent it from spreading into Thailand. Authorities are rushing to set up dust-free rooms in over 130 childcare centers in Mae Sai district, and Mae Sai hospitals must increase their air purifier machines from 97 to over 200 to mitigate the impact of cross-border haze. The westerly winds are expected to cover several Northern provinces with basin-like formations, with wind direction changes expected in 1-2 days.
Meanwhile, cloud seeding operations are attempting to accelerate in order to disperse the toxic haze more quickly. (TNA)
