PSI hits 104 in eastern Singapore; 2 areas now with ‘unhealthy’ air quality
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SINGAPORE – The air quality in eastern Singapore reached unhealthy levels on the evening of Sept 4, with a 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) reading of 102 at 9pm, which then inched up to 104 at 11pm.
This came after the central region recorded a reading of 101 at 7am on the same day, before climbing to 123 at 11pm.
As at 11pm, the PSI readings for the north (88), south (87) and west (99) remained in the moderate range.
Air quality is considered unhealthy when the PSI is in the range of 101 to 200, during which the National Environment Agency (NEA) advises the public to cut down on outdoor activities.
The last time the PSI hit unhealthy levels due to haze was in October 2023.
In a media statement issued around noon on Sept 4, the Haze Task Force announced a number of contingency measures if air quality hits “very unhealthy” levels, or a PSI reading exceeding 200.
These include making available air-conditioned rooms in all community centres and selected residents’ committee centres, for people to seek respite from the bad air.
The NEA said in an update the same evening that haze could persist to Sept 5, with air quality forecast to be between the higher end of the moderate and the middle of the unhealthy range.
In a weather advisory on Sept 1, the Meteorological Service Singapore said Singapore may experience hazy conditions in the next two weeks as dry weather is set to continue in the surrounding region into the first fortnight of September, despite sporadic showers expected in the second week.
With the prevailing dry conditions, there has been an escalation in the hot spot and smoke haze situation in the surrounding region, it added. Dense smoke haze was observed over southern and central Sumatra and various parts of Kalimantan on most days from around Aug 21.
This follows weeks of forest and land fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan in Indonesia, fuelled by a super El Nino weather phenomenon.
How badly Singapore is affected depends on wind direction.
