Air quality in Kuching has improved, but API reading for Lubok Antu has shot up to very hazardous level

KUCHING, Sept 3 2026: The poor air quality in Kuching, the state capital, has slightly improved from an hazardous 311 yesterday to a very unhealthy 276 levels as at 8am today.

Caption: The poor visibility in Pending cased by the haze

The air pollutant index (API) reading of Samarahan  station has also gone done, from 284  yesterday afternoon to 257 levels this morning.

According to the Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB), the API level of Lubok Antu, a town near the border with Kalimantan, has shot up to a very hazardous 456 air quality registered as at 8am today, compared to the hazardous level of 331 yesterday afternoon.

The hazardous air quality of IPD Serian has  also went up, from an API of 305 yesterday afternoon to 343 as at 8am today.

NREB said eight other areas recorded very unhealthy air quality and 10 others with unhealthy air quality levels.

 AIR POLLUTANT INDEX (API) FOR SARAWAK Thursday 3 September 2026, 8:00 A.M.

 

STATION				INDEX	STATUS
KUCHING				276	Very Unhealthy
SAMARAHAN				257	Very Unhealthy
IPD SERIAN (MCAQM)				343	Hazardous
SRI AMAN				298	Very Unhealthy
SARIKEI				227	Very Unhealthy
SIBU				191	Unhealthy
MUKAH				172	Unhealthy
KAPIT				176	Unhealthy
BINTULU				176	Unhealthy
SAMALAJU				167	Unhealthy
MIRI				134	Unhealthy
ILP MIRI				153	Unhealthy
LIMBANG				155	Unhealthy
LUNDU				253	Very Unhealthy
TEBEDU				239	Very Unhealthy
LUBOK ANTU				456	Very Hazardous
KANOWIT				241	Very Unhealthy
LAWAS				166	Unhealthy
BARIO				157	Unhealthy
BETONG (MCAQM)				215	Very Unhealthy
Nota: i. API is calculated based on 24-hour running average of the most dominant parameter. ii. MCAQM - Mobile Continuous Air Quality Monitoring
0 – 50	Good		Low pollution without any bad effect on health.
51 – 100	Moderate		Moderate pollution that does not pose any bad effect on health.
101 – 200	Unhealthy		Worsen the health condition of high risk people who is the people with heart and lung complications.
201 – 300	Very Unhealthy		Worsen the health condition and low tolerance of physical exercises to people with heart and lung complications. Affect public health.
301 – 400	Hazardous		Hazardous to high risk people and public health.
401 – 500	Very Hazardous		Hazardous to high risk people and public health.
> 500	Very Hazardous		Hazardous to high risk people and public health.