By DayakDaily Team
SIMUNJAN, May 1: Northern Sarawak and Sabah may be more affected by the volcanic dust emitted from Mount Ruang’s eruption than southern Sarawak, says Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
He said flights between Kuala Lumpur and Kuching seemed to be unaffected as he had just flown in on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching.
“I think the people affected may be those in northern Sarawak and Sabah. Because we are in the south, we are a bit more far from Sulawesi.
“And just now when I flew, it seemed okay. I flew from Kuala Lumpur earlier today. I left at 11am and I arrived here (Kuching) at around 1pm. It seemed okay,” said Abang Johari to reporters after officiating at the Hari Raya Aidilfitri Gathering at Simunjan District held at Dewan Mesra Simunjan today, according to an audio recording made available to the press.
Dust emitted during an eruption of Mount Ruang, Indonesia on Tuesday (April 30) is expected to enter and significantly impact Malaysia’s airspace.
Malaysian Meteorological Department (METMalaysia) in a statement today, said a Significant Meteorological Information (SIGMET) Flight Weather Warning was issued to flight operators as volcanic dust is expected to enter Malaysian airspace and may disrupt flight operations within the Kota Kinabalu Flight Information Region (FIR).
Based on the trajectory model from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the volcanic dust is expected to enter the national airspace and have a significant impact throughout the forecast period until May 5, 2024.
The volcano, which stands at 725 metres above sea level, is among the most active volcanos in Indonesia. The height of the observed eruption was 63,000 feet (20km).
It first erupted on April 17 and again on April 30. The dust caused by its eruption on April 17 forced airlines to cancel flights, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. — DayakDaily
