South East Asia battles wildfires and smog

Many schools in parts of South East Asia are still closed because of high levels of air pollution.

The pollution is mainly caused by wildfires in Indonesia, which have filled the skies with smoke.

This smog, or 'the haze' as it is known, has spread to other countries like Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines.

As the fires continue to burn in Indonesia, authorities in neighbouring countries affected by the haze are using lots of different methods to try and clear it.

The fires have been burning in parts of Borneo and Sumatra for the past few weeks and are affecting neighbouring countries.

It's one of the worst fire seasons Indonesia has seen since 2015.

The air quality across South East Asia is poor due to the smog with parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore experiencing unhealthy levels of pollution.

To keep safe, families in some areas are being asked to their children indoors to play.

Authorities are trialling use of dry ice - the cloudy stuff you'd might see at a school disco - to target the haze.

The idea is that the dry ice helps break down the smog and helps it rise further up into the atmosphere and away from people.

Authorities have also been trying cloud seeding to try and improve air conditions.

Cloud seeding is a process that targets clouds and helps them to produce rain, which is thought to take some of the pollutants out of the air.

More than 60,000 people and over 50 aircrafts have been helping to fight the fires.

Experts say that illegal cutting and burning practices, used by some farmers and companies as a cheap way to clear vegetation, is a main cause of the fires.

Metoerologists say a powerful weather pattern known as a super El Niño has made drought conditions worse this year, increasing the risk of fires spreading.