Singapore air quality hits unhealthy levels island-wide

Singapore experienced unhealthy air quality across the entire island on Tuesday morning, with the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) surpassing the 100 mark in all five regions due to persistent haze. The 24-hour PSI readings ranged from 101 to 145, with the central region recording the highest level of 145, while the east and west regions reached 120 and 122, respectively.

The north and south regions also entered the unhealthy air quality range, registering 101 and 104, respectively. The PSI scale categorizes air quality as unhealthy when readings fall between 101 and 200, very unhealthy between 201 and 300, and hazardous when they exceed 300. National Environment Agency (NEA) warned that dry conditions are expected to persist over Singapore and the surrounding region in the coming days, with smoke plumes from fires in Kalimantan drifting towards the country.

Prevailing winds forecasted to blow from the southeast to east-southeast will likely bring smoke haze to Singapore. The Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre reported that the hotspot and smoke haze situation would remain elevated in fire-prone areas with prolonged dry conditions, posing a continued risk of severe transboundary haze.