Singapore - Smog that has blotted out the sun across Southeast Asia for almost two months is beginning to recede as monsoon rains arrive, experts said yesterday.
Scattered showers have already fallen on Singapore, parts of Malaysia and northern Indonesia, bringing the first glimpses of blue sky to a region blanketed by smoke pollution from Indonesian forest and bush fires.
Weather forecasters expect the air to clear from the north over the next month, but say the rains will be intermittent for a while and the fires may not be put out for some time.
The haze has forced 20,000 people in the south of Thailand to seek medical treatment for skin ailments, reports said yesterday.
