Haze in S’pore: Unhealthy air quality with high PM2.5 levels

As at 9pm on Sept 29, only the PM2.5 reading in the south (52) was in the normal band, with readings in the four other regions ranging from 60-77.

Air quality is considered unhealthy when the 24-hour PSI is between 101 and 200, while an hourly PM2.5 reading between 56 and 150 indicates an elevated concentration of fine particles.

The 24-hour PSI re-entered the unhealthy range on the night of Sept 28, with the south (103) and central (104) areas crossing the threshold reading at 8pm.

At 9pm, the west also entered the unhealthy range with a reading of 101. This was joined by the east at midnight, with a reading of 103.

‘Didn’t even dare to open the windows’

Some residents took to social media to comment on the hazy conditions.

In the CloudSpotting & SkySpotting Singapore Facebook group, user Jess Thia said she could “taste the bitterness” when she cracked open a window in a unit on a high floor at about 1am on Sept 29.

Meanwhile, user Prettyplushy Jamm, in a Sept 29 post sharing pictures of the smog, said she “didn’t even dare to open the windows”.

In another picture post sharing a hazy night view late on Sept 28, with a location tag of St Thomas Walk in River Valley, user Krittika Samaddar said: “Feeling terrified, never seen such haze during night time before.”

Jalan Besar GRC MP Shawn Loh said in a Facebook post on the morning of Sept 29 that Residents’ Network centres in Whampoa-Boon Keng, which are fully air-conditioned, are open for public use from 10am to about 9pm daily.

Whampoa and Kallang community clubs are also open daily, from 10am to about 9pm, for residents who need shelter from the haze, Loh said.

“The haze has gotten worse. Many residents, especially seniors and students who are studying for their exams, are understandably concerned. We will take action as a community,” he said.

NEA advisory

In its daily haze advisory at about 6.20pm on Sept 29, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said air quality in Singapore for the next 24 hours was forecast to be in the high moderate to mid-unhealthy range.

It said that dry conditions are expected to persist over southern Sumatra and parts of Kalimantan.

While showers are forecast over Singapore on Sept 30, smoke haze may still affect the island with the prevailing winds expected to blow from the east or south-east, NEA said.

For periods when the air quality crosses into the unhealthy range, NEA has advised healthy people to reduce prolonged or strenuous outdoor activities, while vulnerable groups like the elderly, children and pregnant women, as well as people with chronic lung or heart disease, should minimise or avoid such activities altogether.

The PSI first returned to the unhealthy range due to the haze on Sept 4, the first time since October 2023.