{"id":56322,"date":"2026-05-29T21:37:39","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T13:37:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=56322"},"modified":"2026-05-29T21:37:39","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T13:37:39","slug":"singapore-haze-risk-increases-due-to-el-nino","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=56322","title":{"rendered":"Singapore haze risk increases due to El Nino"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">SINGAPORE \u2013<!-- --> There is an increased risk of Singapore being affected by <!-- -->haze<!-- --> from June to October, as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/environment\/what-is-a-godzilla-el-nino-and-how-could-it-affect-singapore?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><span class=\"font-body-baseline-regular inline\" data-testid=\"paragraph-test-id\">El Nino is<\/span><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/environment\/what-is-a-godzilla-el-nino-and-how-could-it-affect-singapore?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><span class=\"font-body-baseline-regular inline\" data-testid=\"paragraph-test-id\"> <\/span><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/environment\/what-is-a-godzilla-el-nino-and-how-could-it-affect-singapore?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><span class=\"font-body-baseline-regular inline\" data-testid=\"paragraph-test-id\">expected to develop<\/span><\/a> and coincide with<!-- --> another climate<!-- --> <!-- -->phenomenon,<!-- --> the Indian Ocean Dipole.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Warmer and drier conditions are also expected in the coming months due to both climate phenomena,<!-- --> <!-- -->the National Environment Agency <!-- -->(NEA)<!-- --> and Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) said in a statement on May 29.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The period between March and May 2027 could be warmer than usual too, as <!-- -->this is<!-- --> <!-- -->when<!-- --> El Nino weakens and has the highest impact <!-- -->on<!-- --> temperatures.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Singapore experienced an El Nino and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole together in 2015 \u2013 resulting in one of the region\u2019s most severe haze <!-- -->crises<!-- --> on record \u2013 with rainfall from June to September that year about 35 per cent below the long-term average. <!-- -->A positive Indian Ocean Dipole is one of the three phases of the Indian Ocean Dipole phenomenon, alongside the neutral and negative phases.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The Republic experienced its last heatwave in April\u00a02016.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The two authorities<!-- --> said the 28 government agencies under the Haze Task Force are ready to implement measures if air quality<!-- --> here<!-- --> is affected by transboundary haze.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">According to MSS, there is an over 80 per cent chance of El Nino conditions developing, <!-- -->with the phenomenon<!-- --> <!-- -->forecast to emerge from<!-- --> June to July.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">El Nino is a naturally occurring climate pattern associated with changes in both the ocean and atmosphere in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, including an abnormal warming of <!-- -->surface waters in the eastern Pacific.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">El Nino events tend to have the greatest influence on Singapore\u2019s rainfall during the <!-- -->south-west monsoon<!-- --> season from June to September, increasing the <!-- -->likelihood<!-- --> of dry conditions. The weather phenomenon also <!-- -->brings<!-- --> warmer temperatures to Singapore.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">An Indian Ocean Dipole is similar to El Nino but develops in the equatorial Indian Ocean, typically ending by December or January. A positive Indian Ocean Dipole is expected to develop in July <!-- -->or<!-- --> August, bringing drier and warmer weather to Singapore and its surrounding regions. <!-- -->Cooler sea surface temperatures in the eastern Indian Ocean result in less cloud formation, contributing to the drier conditions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cWith an expected El Nino and <!-- -->a<!-- --> potential positive IOD (Indian Ocean Dipole), the dry season this year could be more intense and prolonged compared <!-- -->with<!-- --> recent years and extend into October,\u201d said NEA and MSS.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Drier and warmer conditions are conducive to the development of peatland and vegetation fires, which could escalate the hot spot and smoke haze situation in the surrounding region from June, particularly in fire-prone areas, <!-- -->the two agencies<!-- --> said. They added: \u201cThis will increase the risk of transboundary haze affecting Singapore and the region.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">On May 7, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu <a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/environment\/what-is-a-godzilla-el-nino-and-how-could-it-affect-singapore?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><span class=\"font-body-baseline-regular inline\" data-testid=\"paragraph-test-id\">warned that a<\/span><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/environment\/what-is-a-godzilla-el-nino-and-how-could-it-affect-singapore?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><span class=\"font-body-baseline-regular inline\" data-testid=\"paragraph-test-id\"> \u201cGodzilla\u201d or<\/span><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/environment\/what-is-a-godzilla-el-nino-and-how-could-it-affect-singapore?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><span class=\"font-body-baseline-regular inline\" data-testid=\"paragraph-test-id\"> super El Nino<\/span><\/a> could trigger more intense forest fires and haze in South-east Asia later in 2026. <!-- -->It<!-- --> emerges when the central equatorial Pacific Ocean\u2019s surface <!-- -->temperatures exceed<!-- --> 2 deg C above the long-term average. An ordinary El Nino occurs when the sea surface temperature rises by 0.5 deg C.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The public should refer to NEA\u2019s website, the myENV app and www.haze.gov.sg <!-- -->for<!-- --> advisories on the haze situation, <!-- -->the two agencies<!-- --> said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">They should <!-- -->use<!-- --> the <!-- -->one<!-- -->-hour PM2.5 concentration as an indicator <!-- -->of<!-- --> current air quality when planning for outdoor or strenuous activities over the next few hours, and check the 24-hour PSI and accompanying health advisories when planning for activities for the next day, said NEA and MSS, adding that the public should <!-- -->ensur<!-- -->e air purifiers at home are working properly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<center><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/increased-risk-of-haze-in-singapore-from-june-to-october-due-to-el-nino-indian-ocean-dipole\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article At Source <\/a><br \/>\n<center\/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SINGAPORE \u2013 There is an increased risk of Singapore being affected by haze from June to October, as El Nino is expected to develop and&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":56323,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2611],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-56322","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-buzz-headlines","wpcat-2611-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56322","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=56322"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56322\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/56323"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=56322"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=56322"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=56322"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}