KUCHING: There is no air pollution in Sarawak and Sabah following the volcanic eruption in Northern Sulawesi, situated about 800km from Malaysia.
Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) director-general Muhammad Helmi Abdullah said that the Mount Ruang volcano, situated 725 meters above sea level, first erupted at 9.45am on Tuesday (Apr 16), followed by four subsequent eruptions throughout Wednesday (Apr 17).
He said since the eruption, flight operations in Sarawak and Sabah have been affected.
“The observed eruption reached a height of up to 55,000 feet, and the resulting ash cloud poses a risk to the safety of the aircrafts.
“Despite the incident, the surface air quality in Sabah and Sarawak has not been affected according to the air pollution index (IPU) observations,” he said in a statement.
As of now, Indonesia has raised its volcanic eruption warning to Level 4 (Caution) and expects Mount Ruang to remain active, with the possibility of intermittent eruptions.
Helmi assured that MetMalaysia will continue to monitor the impact of Mount Ruang’s eruption on the country.
The public is encouraged to stay informed by monitoring MetMalaysia’s official website at www.met.gov.my, following the department’s social media platforms, and downloading the myCuaca app for the current and accurate weather updates.
