El Nino Watch
The ASEAN haze centre's alert level for smoke that crosses borders, for the Mekong sub-region (including Thailand) and southern ASEAN: 0 none, 1 dry season, 2 increasing risk, 3 high risk.
Hazards
"Transboundary haze" is smoke from fires that drifts from one country to another. The ASMC issues alert levels for two sub-regions:
It weighs forecast rain and winds, smoke haze density, and hotspot counts and locations.
Samui usually has clean air, but in strong El Nino years haze from Indonesia and Malaysia has reached southern Thailand. A southern ASEAN level 2-3 is a reason to check the air quality factor.
| ASMC level | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0 | No transboundary smoke haze / stand down |
| 1 | Dry season |
| 2 | Increasing risk of transboundary haze (more hotspots, moderate to dense smoke for several days, persistent dry weather, winds towards neighbours) |
| 3 | High risk of severe transboundary haze (significant persistent hotspots, widespread moderate to dense smoke for several days) |