Air pollution a reason storms in S-E Asia are becoming stronger: Study

Raindrops in polluted areas up to 1.8 times larger than those in places with clean air

- Angelica Ang

Residents wading through flood waters after heavy rain in Bali on Sept 10. Professor Steve Yim, who heads the NTU Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Health, cautioned that South-east Asian nations could be at risk of more intense and frequent storms, due to climate change and air pollution.

(PHOTO: AFP)

Air pollution from forest fires in Southeast Asia may be one reason why storms in the region are becoming stronger, new research has found.

The study, led by Professor Steve Yim, who heads the NTU Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Health, analysed 10 years of satellite and weather data from across Southeast Asia.

The data shows that powerful storms are becoming more frequent and intense, especially over maritime Southeast Asia. This region includes countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

The researchers also quantified storm intensity by the size and concentration of raindrops. They found that raindrops produced in polluted areas - regions where pollutant particles blocked sunshine from reaching the ground were up to 1.8 times larger than those in places with clean air.

Aside from biomass burning, other forms of human-caused emissions in Southeast Asia come from urban and industrial sources, such as vehicular emissions and household fuel combustion. The burning of fossil fuels for energy generation is another significant source of pollution in the region.

Polluted storms increase rainfall by up to 50 per cent, found the study, which was published on Oct 3 in the Geophysical Research Letters scientific journal.