REVIEW OF REGIONAL HAZE SITUATION IN ASEAN REGION (February 2022)
In February 2022, the ASEAN region continued to be influenced by Northeast Monsoon conditions. Dry conditions persisted over the Mekong sub-region throughout February 2022. Elsewhere in the ASEAN region, rainy weather was observed in many areas. However, parts of Sumatra, Borneo, and the Philippines experienced brief periods of drier weather.
Prolonged dry conditions over the Mekong sub-region led to an increase in overall hotspot activity in February 2022. In the southern ASEAN region, hotspot activity was generally subdued. The hotspot counts in ASEAN were generally lower this year compared to previous years.
With the increase in hotspots and escalating smoke haze situation in the Mekong sub-region, ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) activated Alert Level 2 for the sub-region on 11 February 2022. From the middle of the month, persistent hotspots and localised smoke plumes were detected in many parts of the Mekong sub-region. By the end of the month, moderate to dense smoke haze was observed in Myanmar, northern Thailand, northern Cambodia, and southern Lao PDR.