SINGAPORE, Oct 8 — Air quality across Singapore remained in the unhealthy range today, with 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) readings above 100 in all five regions.
The 11am readings were 112 in the north, 111 in the south, 122 in the east, 159 in the west and 142 in the central region, according to The Straits Times.
The PSI, which measures a 24-hour rolling average of six key air pollutants, is considered unhealthy when it reaches between 101 and 200.
Meanwhile, hourly PM2.5 readings, which indicate current air quality and are used to guide immediate outdoor activity, were elevated in the west at 67 and central region at 57.
Readings in the north, south and east remained within the normal band at 44, 33 and 49 respectively, while an hourly PM2.5 reading between 56 and 150 indicates an elevated concentration of fine particles.
The hazy conditions are expected to continue through the October 9-11 Singapore Grand Prix, although a Formula 1 spokesperson had earlier told ST: “There is absolutely no risk to the event and the conditions where the event is taking place are not at any level of concern.”
A Singapore GP spokesperson said it would work with relevant agencies to assess the situation and make decisions if the haze affects visibility, public health or operations.
The organisers also have a contingency plan developed with stakeholders and government agencies for various scenarios, including haze, with N95 masks to be made available at the event if necessary.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) advises healthy people to reduce prolonged or strenuous outdoor activity when the 24-hour PSI is in the unhealthy range, while vulnerable groups including pregnant women, children and people with chronic lung or heart conditions should minimise or avoid such activities.
In its October 7 haze advisory, NEA forecast that the situation would worsen, with the PSI expected to remain within the unhealthy range for the first time since daily advisories began on September 4.
NEA said moderate to dense smoke plumes from southern Sumatra and smoke haze from hotspots in Kalimantan were drifting towards Singapore, with prevailing south-easterly to southerly winds expected to continue carrying the haze towards the city-state.
The PSI first crossed into the unhealthy range on September 4, when it reached 101 in central Singapore, while the highest reading this year was 167 in the central region on September 29.
The recent haze marked the first time since October 2023 that Singapore’s PSI had reached unhealthy levels, amid earlier warnings of increased haze risk between June and October due to warmer and drier conditions associated with El Nino and the Indian Ocean Dipole.
Some experts have forecast that the haze could persist for longer this year because of the “Godzilla” El Nino event, which could bring less rainfall and higher temperatures in October and November.
The Meteorological Service Singapore said strong El Nino events tend to delay the end of the dry season across much of southern Asean, with the transition in Singapore expected only in late October or early November, later than in the previous two years.
