November Report: The Post-Rain Haze, Soaked Streets and Rising Pollution
As November arrives, rain pours over many areas in Indonesia, including Jakarta and its surrounding regions. However, does the highly anticipated rainfall only soak our shoes, or does it also wash away the pollution that has long obscured the blue sky?
Let's dissect this together using air quality data from the Nafas sensor network last November!
Bandung Overtakes Tangsel as Pollution Champion 🤒
After being in the second position last month, the Bandung Raya region rose to become the topmost polluted area! Air contamination in Bandung Raya reached a PM2.5 level of 49 μg/m3, slightly lower than the previous month due to factors such as wind and more rain in November.
In general, almost all cities monitored by the Nafas sensor experienced a decrease in air pollution in November, except for Surabaya, which saw an increase of 1 μg/m3. The average reduction in PM2.5 here reached a significant figure of 10 μg/m3. This is undoubtedly one of the positive impacts of the arrival of the rainy season in our cities.
How Many Cigarettes Did You Inhale in November?
This month, several cities from outside Jabodetabek entered the list of the top 10 locations with the highest equivalent of cigarettes, such as Bandung, Sidoarjo, and Cimahi. For residents of Ciroyom, Bandung, last month you were equivalent to inhaling 81 cigarettes just by breathing! 🥲 The poor air quality in Punggul, Sidoarjo, resulted in the area having an equivalent number of cigarettes to Tangerang, which is 80 cigarettes.
The Rain Has Stopped, Why Is the Pollution Still There?
At the end of November, the Jabodetabek area was often showered with rain, even reaching extreme rainfall intensity. When it rained, the variation in air quality became more apparent, ranging from moderate to unhealthy conditions. This difference is influenced by the timing of the rain, the spread of rain clouds, and the direction of the wind.
Based on Nafas’ monitoring, it can be observed that air quality gradually deteriorated on November 25, increasing fourfold within just 12 hours after rain. This indicates that although rain has a 'cleansing' effect on the air, its effect is only temporary.
The Tale of Two Skies in Jakarta 🎭
Psst, have you ever seen the two faces of Jakarta’s sky?
The clear sky in Jakarta on November 29 delighted the entire Jabodetabek in the virtual world. However, two days later, the gloomy face reappeared with increased air pollution in Jakarta. In just two days, the PM2.5 level worsened threefold. This was caused by low wind speeds during those times. Wind can indeed eliminate pollution in one place. However, wind is also responsible for moving pollutants from one place to another.
Tangerang Haze Retains Pollution ☁️
A report from netizens stated that some areas in Tangerang were shrouded in fog on Tuesday (7/11) morning. At the same time, the Nafas detector in Serpong showed a high PM2.5 level of 59 μg/m3, categorized as unhealthy.
According to the explanation of Dennish Ari, a Weather & Climate Risk Analyst, the color of the fog in Tangerang tends to be white, so it is most likely water vapor fog rather than smoke fog. However, water vapor fog can still trap pollutants in the air.
Want to Escape the Suffocating Pollution? Vacation Here! 🌅
As the end of the year approaches, still unsure where to vacation? Don't worry, Nafas has a recommendation!
During November, Belitung once again became the favorite with clean air! With a PM2.5 level of 13 μg/m3, the air quality in Belitung met the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (BMUAN) in Indonesia, which set the PM2.5 limit at 15 μg/m3. Additionally, Bali and the Thousand Islands can also be considered as they are among the top three areas with the best air quality in the Nafas sensor network.
That's the summary of air quality during last November. Although the rainy season has arrived, it seems that air pollution is still reluctant to disappear.
Hopefully, by the end of this year, we can see more blue skies after the rain subsides!
Download the complete Nafas Open Data Report - November 2023 Air Quality Report and discover more insights!
