SINGAPORE, Aug 21 — With temperatures soaring and hazy skies looming, Friday prayer sermons at mosques across Singapore are getting a temporary trim.
The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) announced today that the first sermon will be slashed from the usual six to seven pages to under four pages, local news outlet Straits Times reported today.
“May this step will make it easier for worshippers to gather, worship and remain comfortable in these challenging weather conditions,” Muis added.
This shorter format will remain in place until further notice for the afternoon Zohor prayers, which currently take place shortly after 1pm.
The move comes as the weatherman warns of scorching daily maximum temperatures ranging between 33° Celsius and 34°C for the rest of August.
On particularly sweltering days, the mercury could even hit a high of 35°C, while warm and humid nights are expected to stay above 27°C.
Adding to the discomfort are persistent dry conditions and smoke plumes drifting from hotspots in the southern and central parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan.
The Meteorological Service Singapore has cautioned that prevailing winds could blow the transboundary haze directly into the city-state if the regional fires intensify.
As of 2pm today, Singapore’s 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index safely hovered in the moderate range between 60 and 74, remaining well below the unhealthy 100-mark.
The one-hour PM2.5 readings – a key indicator of immediate air quality during haze periods – remained safely in the normal band of 23 to 42.
