Haze in S’pore: Air quality improving; only central region remains in the unhealthy range

Singapore's air quality showed signs of improvement on September 16 as the 24-hour PSI in four out of five regions fell into the moderate range. Only the central region, which includes areas such as Thomson, Marymount, and Bishan, remained in the unhealthy range at 103, above the 101 threshold that indicates unhealthy air quality. The PSI levels for the east, west, north, and south were recorded at 87, 86, 78, and 76, respectively, at 6 am on September 16.

This marked a significant contrast to the previous day, when unhealthy pollutant levels were recorded across the entire country for the first time since September 2019. The NEA advises the public to reduce outdoor activities when the 24-hour PSI falls within the 101 to 200 range. PSI readings between 51 and 100 are considered moderate, while values ranging from zero to 50 are deemed "good" quality.

On September 15, several organizations, including the Football Association of Singapore, took measures to mitigate the impact of the haze. The NEA had issued an advisory on September 15, predicting that air quality for the next 24 hours would be in the high moderate to mid-unhealthy range. This assessment was based on dry conditions expected over central and southern Sumatra and southern Kalimantan in neighboring Indonesia, where forest fires have been raging for weeks.

The NEA explained that prevailing winds forecasted to blow from the south-east to east-southeast could potentially affect Singapore with smoke haze. The PSI had crossed into the unhealthy range two weeks ago, reaching 101 in central Singapore on the morning of September 4. In the subsequent days, readings in central, eastern, and western parts of Singapore occasionally crossed into the unhealthy range.