Haze may reach hazardous levels, says Grace Fu, as mask vending machines to be fully deployed by Friday night
“Depending on the weather, we can expect air quality to fluctuate, including the possibility of reaching hazardous levels,” says the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment.
Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu warned on Friday that Singapore's air quality could reach hazardous levels depending on the weather, with the possibility of a prolonged haze. Mask vending machines will be fully operational by Friday night, and about 10 percent of eligible residents have already collected their masks.
The distribution began on Wednesday, but some locations experienced long queues and temporary stock shortages. Despite the challenges, Fu assured the public that sufficient supplies of masks are available, both in retail outlets and government stockpiles. She emphasized that the haze situation is fluid and will depend on the weather.
Fu anticipates the haze to last for a few weeks, citing the inter-monsoon period at the end of October or early November, or three to four weeks from now, as the likely timeframe for improvement. When the northeast monsoon arrives around early December, the haze is expected to move away from Singapore. Air quality in Singapore deteriorated overnight, with the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) readings hitting very unhealthy levels in three regions on Friday.
Central Singapore was the first to cross into the very unhealthy band at midnight, recording a 24-hour PSI of 227 at 9am, which later dropped to 226 by 1pm. ActiveSG sport centers temporarily closed their outdoor and non-air-conditioned facilities due to the haze, as reported by Sport Singapore. The Haze Task Force, comprising 28 government agencies led by the National Environment Agency, was convened last week to address the issue.
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