Visibility cut by half as pollution induced haze spreads
This is commonly observed between December and March
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Visibility in Maldives has decreased significantly due to air pollution linked to dust and smoke from the Indian region, the national meteorological service (MET) said Thursday.
In an advisory, MET said the shift in seasonal winds from west to east at the end of the south-west monsoon and on the onset of north-east monsoon bring aerosals from the Himalayan foothills across the Bay of Bengal to Maldives area.
"This results in the reduction of air quality and poor visibility, mostly in the Northern and the and Central regions of Maldives. This is commonly observed between December and March," the advisory read.
According to MET, visibility of up to 10km can be observed in favourable weather conditions, but the haze has decreased visibility to up to 5km.
In view of the poor air quality, the MET office said:
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People with respiratory problems are likely to suffer more due to asthma
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It is important to be extra careful in rain water storage and use
