Activation of Alert Level 2 for the Southern ASEAN Region
In recent days, prevailing dry weather conditions over the southern ASEAN region have resulted in an escalation in hotspot and smoke haze activities. Based on satellite surveillance, moderate smoke haze was observed to emanate from clusters of hotspots detected in the western and southern parts of Kalimantan. A few smoke plumes were also observed from hotspots detected in the southern parts of Sumatra. 185 and 371 hotspots were detected in Kalimantan, and 26 and 11 hotspots were detected in Sumatra, on 1 and 2 August 2026 respectively from the NOAA-20 satellite.
The hotspot and smoke haze situation over the region is expected to deteriorate as dry weather is expected to persist across the southern ASEAN region, coupled with El Niño conditions that are predicted to continue strengthening over the coming months. This could increase the risk of transboundary haze over the region.