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Haze limits visibility, disrupts flights at KNIA
Dense haze on Thursday covered Medan and several other areas in North Sumatra, disrupting flights at Kuala Namu International Airport (KNIA) in neighboring Deli Serdang regency with visibility at only 200 meters
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ense haze on Thursday covered Medan and several other areas in North Sumatra, disrupting flights at Kuala Namu International Airport (KNIA) in neighboring Deli Serdang regency with visibility at only 200 meters.
At least 11 flights to and from KNIA were disrupted due to thick fog and had to be redirected to Sultan Syarif Kasim II Airport in Pekanbaru, Riau, and Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia.
The National Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported thick fog shrouding a number of regions in North Sumatra was not from forest fires but due to high moisture content in the air.
The head of data and information at the BMKG's KNIA station, Mega Sirait, said the thick haze covering Medan and several regions in the province gathered in the morning.
She added the fog was attributed to the change in liquid vapor, thus causing vapor mass to descend close to the ground. 'So we see it as haze. It could have happened due to a very cold temperature,' Mega told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
She said the current temperature in Medan and several regions in North Sumatra was very low due to the forthcoming rainy season, which usually takes place in September and October.
During the wet season, added Mega, the temperature could drop to 23 degrees Celsius all day and all night, while humidity could reach 100 percent. She said the cold temperature could cause condensation, or vapor that changed into liquid form, or fog.
Mega said the condition would often take place in the morning, thus aircraft were advised to be careful due to poor visibility.
'The fog usually appears from 6:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. Incoming flights are advised not to land at KNIA due to poor visibility,' said Mega.
KNIA general manager Said Ridwan confirmed that visibility at the airport on Thursday morning was very poor due to thick fog.
'Visibility at KNIA this morning was only around 150 meters, the worst ever since I worked here,' Ridwan told the Post on Thursday.
Ridwan confirmed that poor visibility at KNIA had disrupted several flights.
He added flights returned to normal after 8 a.m. when visibility exceeded 3,500 meters as the fog gradually disappeared.
'Conditions have returned to normal now and flights are operating as usual,' said Ridwan later in the day.
