Start of dry season for the southern ASEAN region
The Southwest Monsoon onset in the region in late May 2017. Over the past few days, the region including Sumatra and Kalimantan has been experiencing dry weather conditions. The number of hotspots in Sumatra and Kalimantan has remained low but is expected to increase as the dry season progresses. Based on surveillance by the NOAA-19 satellite, 12 and 14 hotspots were detected in Sumatra on 6 and 7 June 2017 respectively.
The prevailing Southwest Monsoon is expected to strengthen and persist over the next few months. During this period, extended periods of drier weather can be expected, which could lead to elevated hotspot activities in the fire-prone areas.