PETALING JAYA: The haze that is blanketing the country has sent air quality plunging to unhealthy levels in 15 towns and cities.

As of 5pm, seven locations in the peninsula and eight in Sarawak recorded unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings.

They include Kuala Selangor, Putrajaya, Nilai, Seremban, Malacca City, Bukit Rambai (Malacca), Muar, Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu, Sri Aman and Petra Jaya. (see chart)

Only three places – Kota Baru, Labuan and Kangar – recorded a “good” API level of between 45 and 49.

API readings released by the Department of Environment as of 5pm yesterday showed there were 33 areas with moderate air quality.

Over the past few days, satellite pictures have shown a significant increase in hotspots in Borneo. The number of hotspots rose to 507 yesterday from 350 on Tuesday.