The Philippine island of Cebu suffered its seventh straight day of haze on Saturday, the weather bureau said, as Southeast Asian countries battle pollution suspected to emanate from illegal fires on Indonesian plantations.
Monsoon winds blowing northeast from the Indonesian blazes towards the direction of the central Philippines could have carried the smog, state weather forecaster Romeo Aguirre told AFP.
"We suspect that this haze is from Sumatra. It is unusually thick," Aguirre said.
Haze from local pollution is common in Cebu, home to four million people, but usually disappears within a day. The current cloud of pollution blanketing the city in a blueish-grey veil is into its seventh day, though it has thinned considerably. (abs-cbnnews.com)