Kanowit recorded Sarawak’s highest air-pollutant reading at 4pm on Sept 26: an API of 201, down from 213 at 10am but still in the “Very Unhealthy” band. It was the state’s only station in that category. Serian was at 137, classed as “Unhealthy”, while most other stations were moderate; Kuching stood at 91 and Samarahan at 84. The morning snapshot had Kanowit at 215 and Serian at 152, so both readings had eased by afternoon. The figures are tied to a specific time and can shift during the day. Residents, especially in Kanowit and Serian, should check the latest NREB API reading before planning prolonged outdoor activity.

Haze returned to Sarawak on Aug 19, with five monitoring areas recording unhealthy air quality at 9am. Serian recorded the highest Air Pollutant Index (API) reading at 156, followed by Kuching at 154, Sri Aman at 152, Samarahan at 113 and Mukah at 106. The figures were a snapshot from the Department of Environment's APIMS system, not a forecast for the whole day. in Kuching An API reading from 101 to 200 is classified as unhealthy. The number can move as wind, rain and nearby hotspots change, so an old screenshot should not be used as the current reading. Check APIMS again before school sports, outdoor work or a long trip. Children, older people and anyone with asthma or heart or lung conditions should be more cautious when readings are elevated. Reducing strenuous outdoor activity, closing windows when smoke is strong and using a well-fitting high-filtration mask outdoors are more useful than relying on a loose cloth mask. Affected at 9am: Serian, Kuching, Sri Aman, Samarahan and Mukah Important: These readings were recorded on Aug 19 and may have changed since publication. These API figures are a time-specific snapshot from 2026-08-19, not a full-day forecast. Rain, wind and new hotspots can change the number quickly, so check APIMS again before school sports, outdoor work or a long trip. Children, older people and people with asthma or heart or lung conditions should reduce strenuous outdoor activity while the air remains unhealthy. [image: 1787112656808-sarawak-haze.jpg]