On Sunday,parts of Indonesia were covered by red skies.

It was caused by huge forest fires. The region has been covered in smog for the last two weeks after farmers started burning waste crops on agricultural land.

Footage from Jambi province shows the terrifying apocalyptic scene when the people were seen covering their faces with masks.

Agus Wibowo Sort, head of the Indonesia National Board for Disaster Management information, said the phenomenon is known as ‘Rayleigh Scattering’ and it was caused by the movement of haze away from hot spots.

Astronomer Marufin Sudibyo said that sunlight was fragmented through the dense clouds of smoke particles causing the red appearance.

He said: ‘Rayleigh Scattering happens when sunlight is dispersed by smoke, dust or airborne particles that filter shorter wavelengths and release longer wavelengths that are in the orange or red spectrum, making the area appear to be dim and red.’

Fires started burning through the island of Sumatra and parts of Borneo island last month causing debilitating clouds of haze across the region and in neighboring countries.

The blazes have been caused by farmers when they began to fires to clear waste crops from their fields. The combination of hot, dry weather has this year meant that the smoke is thicker and drifting further.

Men can be seen on their motorbikes looking into the hazy smoke ahead. The government of Indonesia has sent 10,000 firefighters to Jambi but residents still believe more should be done.

Indonesian government officials have deployed more than 10,000 firemen to battle the forest fires but neighboring governments and residents have complained that more should be done.

 

 

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