Hazy skies on Wednesday due to ‘particulate matter’ build-up, says NEA

SINGAPORE — Air quality in eastern Singapore reached unhealthy levels on Wednesday (Nov 13) morning.

The 24-hour PSI reading in the east was 101 at 10am, rising to 102 an hour later.

At 1pm, the PSI reading in both southern and eastern Singapore was 101, before improving later in the afternoon.

A PSI value of 50 and below denotes “good” air quality. A reading of 51 to 100 is “moderate”, while a reading of 101 to 200 signifies “unhealthy” air quality levels.

In a Facebook post, the National Environment Agency (NEA) attributed the hazy conditions to an “accumulation of particulate matter”.

“The haziness is taking time to clear as winds have remained light since yesterday evening,” it said.

TODAY understands that the particulate matter did not originate from any specific location.

NEA added that thunderstorms were expected in the afternoon, which should improve the situation.

As at 1pm, the PSI readings for other parts of Singapore were as follows:

• North: 92

• South: 101

• East: 101

• West: 87

• Central: 87

The last time the PSI was in the unhealthy range was on Sept 23, based on previous haze updates by NEA.

“NEA is monitoring the situation closely and will provide updates when necessary,” the agency said. 

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