The hotspots have been identified in 11 districts and municipalities — two in Humbang Hasundutan, one in Labuhanbatu Selatan, nine in Mandailing Natal, one in Tapanuli Selatan, three in Tapanuli Utara, one in Toba Samosir, one in Asahan, four in Dairi, seven in Karo, one in Labuhanbatu, and eight in Sibolga, the BMKG Office in Medan said in a written statement issued on Tuesday.
At least 26 hotspots were detected in North Sumatra as of Monday.
The BMKG has forecast light-to-moderate rains in parts of North Sumatra from Tuesday afternoon till night.
The agency has also predicted that temperatures will remain in a range of 25-33 degrees Celsius and air humidity will be 65-95 percent, with winds blowing from the north to the northeast at a speed of 5-25 kilometers per hour.
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The waves in the Indian Ocean west of Nias have been predicted to reach 2-5.4 meters in height. They have been forecast to reach 1.25-2.5 meters in the waters north of Sabang, the northern part of Malacca Strait, west of Aceh, Meulaboh-Sinabang, the Indian Ocean west of Aceh, and Nias-Sibolga.
Hotspots have also been reported in neighboring Riau Province.
The BMKG recorded 18 hotspots in Bengkalis District, Riau Province on Monday.
"Today, 18 hotspots have surfaced due to the dry season that began almost over a month ago. (The hotspots) have caused land fires in several sub-districts in Bengkalis district," acting head of the Bengkalis District Natural Disaster Mitigation Board (BPBD), Tajul Mudaris, said on Monday.
In the year ending February 13, 2021, fires gutted 55.71 hectares of land and forests in Riau.
Related news: Indonesia takes precautionary measures against forest fires forecast
Translator: Juraidi/Suharto
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
