Lampang and Phrae are being blanketed by haze caused by forest fires in arid areas in the North, the Pollution Control Department says.
Air quality in the two provinces is worrying health officers after levels of particulate matter 10, known as PM10, were found to exceed safety limits yesterday, the department said.
PM10 refers to tiny dust which can easily enter the lungs and cause breathing difficulties. The acceptable PM10 level is 120 microgrammes per cubic metre, but readings taken in Lampang’s Muang district discovered the haze level stood at 135 mg/cu m yesterday, up from 128 on Tuesday, the department reported. In Phrae, particle readings were measured at 127 mg/cu m, which is also considered to be harmful.
The department has warned people to wear face masks when going outdoors.
The Royal Rain-Making Centre in the North is planning to make artificial rain through cloud-seeding in areas where bushfires have been spotted, chief Anuphap Phawawatthananuson said.
The fires, aggravated by drought in many parts of the North, are destroying wide swathes of forest in Lampang, Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son provinces, Mr Anuphap said.
Other provinces nearby are also facing water shortages and have asked for help from the centre.
The rain-making centre is waiting for the right weather conditions before starting its artificial rain-making efforts.
There are very low levels of moisture in the air at the moment, which makes things difficult, Mr Anuphap said.
The centre expects to increase its rain-making capacity this year after taking delivery of larger planes which can carry more chemicals and water for cloud seeding.
Meanwhile, in Mae Hong Son, provincial officials have built firebreaks to prevent bushfires from spreading deeper into the forests.
Officials need to stay alert and monitor bush fires because the weather is getting hotter every day, Mae Hong Son governor Suraphon Phanatamphon said.
Farmland burning, often blamed for causing bush fires, does not pose a serious concern yet as many farmers will not start growing new crops, which require clearing fields, until April, he said.
Officials in Si Sa Ket have also built firebreaks in forests in Kantharalak and Khun Han districts, which border Cambodia.