Malaysia

Kuching tops unhealthy air quality readings as nine Sarawak areas hit ‘unhealthy’ level

Kuching registers the highest reading at 166, according to the Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS)

Updated 1 week ago · Published on 15 Aug 2026 12:12PM

Kuching tops unhealthy air quality readings as nine Sarawak areas hit ‘unhealthy’ level
Nine areas in Sarawak records unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings as of 10am on Saturday - August 15, 2026

NINE areas in Sarawak recorded unhealthy air quality readings as of 10am on Saturday, with Kuching recording the highest Air Pollutant Index (API) reading at 166, according to the Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS).

Samarahan recorded an API reading of 163, followed by IPD Serian at 162, while Bintulu and Sarikei each recorded 157.

Sri Aman registered a reading of 153, Sibu 152, Mukah 151 and Samalaju 125.

Across the country, 47 areas recorded moderate air quality readings, while 12 areas registered good readings.

Under the API classification, readings from zero to 50 indicate good air quality, while readings from 51 to 100 are categorised as moderate.

Readings between 101 and 200 indicate unhealthy air quality, while those from 201 to 300 are considered very unhealthy. Readings above 300 are classified as hazardous.

APIMS releases API data hourly based on readings recorded by 68 air quality monitoring stations nationwide. - August 15, 2026

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