Air quality improves as south-easterly winds keep denser haze away

SINGAPORE — Air quality in Singapore has continued to improve gradually, as prevailing south-easterly winds have kept denser haze from Sumatra away, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said in yesterday evening’s media advisory.

As at 8pm, the 24-hour PSI was 78 to 92, in the moderate range, and the three-hour PSI was 114. The one-hour PM2.5 was 46 to 95 microgrammes per cubic metre. The NEA said 41 hotspots were detected in Sumatra yesterday. The low count was because of cloud cover over parts of the island, it added.

Widespread haze has persisted in parts of central and southern Sumatra, while some haze from Kalimantan is observed to have spread to the sea areas south-east of Singapore, the NEA reported.

For today, the prevailing winds are forecast to blow from the east or south-east. “Slightly hazy conditions can still be expected, and there is a possibility of some deterioration if denser haze from the surrounding region is blown in,” said the NEA.

It added that the 24-hour PSI for the next 24 hours, as at 8pm last night, was expected to be in the high end of the moderate range and the low end of the unhealthy range, and may enter the mid-section of the unhealthy range if denser haze is blown into Singapore.

Several events on Saturday and Sunday had been postponed or cancelled prior to the weekend. For instance, the Pedestrian Night on Orchard Road, which was to be held on Saturday, was cancelled, while a picnic by NTUC U Family was postponed.

The Healthy and Tasty Cook-Off Competition and Healthy Lifestyle Festival SG 2015 roadshow at Toa Payoh HDB Hub Atrium, which was to have been held yesterday, was cancelled on Saturday.