Bangkok beware! Heavy PM2.5 pollution expected next week
Large areas of Bangkok will be hit by heavy PM2.5 fine dust on Monday and Tuesday due to the lack of breeze and airflow.
The city administration’s Environmental Office said on Saturday that the lack of wind and breeze in Bangkok essentially traps the pollution within the city.
The areas expected to be hit by high accumulation of PM2.5 are downtown Bangkok and the northern and southern zones of Thon Buri to the west of the city, the office warned. The unit comes under the jurisdiction of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).
PM2.5 is fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter and can be hazardous to people with lung and respiratory problems. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the annual average level of PM2.5 should not exceed 5 micrograms per cubic metre of air (μg/m3).
Bangkok’s reading on Saturday was 24.8μg/m3, the BMA’s Air Quality Information Centre reported.
The BMA expects weather conditions in the city to improve between January 18 and 20, with stronger airflow brought by northeasterly winds.
The Thai Meteorological Department, meanwhile, said on Saturday that light breezes in Bangkok over the next few days are not good for the city’s air pollution problem, as fine dust will create a cloud of smog in the morning.
