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Unhealthy haze conditions across Singapore as PSI breaches 100

SINGAPORE — Hazy conditions across the island are expected to persist for the rest of the day, with the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) forecasted to range between the high end of the “moderate” range and the low end of the “unhealthy” range.

The 24-hour PSI went into the “unhealthy” range at 4pm on Sept 17, 2019, over the southern and western parts of Singapore.

The 24-hour PSI went into the “unhealthy” range at 4pm on Sept 17, 2019, over the southern and western parts of Singapore.

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SINGAPORE — Air quality continued to deteriorate on Wednesday (Sept 18) morning as the 24-hour Pollutant Standard Index (PSI) readings across the island hit unhealthy levels. 

As at 9am, the 24-hour PSI readings were:

  • North: 107

  • South: 120 

  • East: 111

  • West: 111

  • Central: 105 

On Tuesday afternoon, the National Environment Agency (NEA) issued an advisory warning that hazy conditions were expected to persist, with the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) expected to range between the high end of the “moderate” range and the low end of the “unhealthy” range over the next day.

Depending on wind conditions, the reading may enter the mid-section of the “unhealthy” range if denser haze from Sumatra, Indonesia blows towards Singapore, the NEA had said.

The 24-hour PSI went into the “unhealthy” range at 4pm on Tuesday over the southern and western parts of the island, while the readings over the central, north and east regions were in the high end of the “moderate” range. 

The index, updated hourly on the NEA’s website, enters the “unhealthy” range if it crosses the 100-mark. A “moderate” reading is between a range of 51 and 100. And readings above 300 is considered “hazardous”.

The NEA added that the deterioration in the hazy conditions in Singapore is due to the “increased haziness over southern Sumatra which has been blown in by the prevailing winds”.

A total of 109 hotspots were detected in Sumatra on Tuesday, while moderate to dense smoke haze continued to be observed in the central and southern provinces of Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra and Lampung, it said.

“Some of the smoke haze has continued to be blown by the prevailing winds to affect parts of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore,” it added.

The weather in Singapore and Sumatra is forecast to remain generally dry for the next few days, while the hotspot activities in the Indonesian province are expected to persist under the prevailing weather conditions.

NEA advised healthy individuals to reduce prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion given the air quality forecast for the next 24 hours.

The elderly, pregnant women and children should also minimise prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion, while those with chronic lung or heart disease should avoid prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion.

“Persons who are not feeling well, especially the elderly and children, and those with chronic heart or lung conditions, should seek medical attention.”

On Saturday, Singapore's air quality entered "unhealthy" levels for the first time in three years when the 24-hour PSI in the western region hit 103 at 4pm. By 1am on Sunday morning, all parts of Singapore were in “unhealthy” territory, with the PSI ranging from 101 to 117. The numbers continued rising until it peaked at 124 in the west, from 5am to 8am on Sunday. The situation improved gradually later; by 7pm the same day, the PSI had dropped to a range of 97 to 105.

Related topics

Weather haze NEA PSI air quality

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