NEA: 24-hour PSI forecast to reach unhealthy levels amid worsening air quality due to haze in SG

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s air quality could reach unhealthy levels on Sunday, Oct 25, prompting the National Environment Agency (NEA) to advise people to adjust outdoor plans.

The agency forecast a 24-hour PSI of 80 to 130, spanning moderate to unhealthy conditions. At 5 pm on Saturday, readings ranged from 108 to 151, while hourly PM2.5 concentrations ranged from 33 to 97 µg/m³.

NEA issued its haze situation update on Oct 24, as smoke from Sumatra drifted towards Singapore. The forecast offers a guide for planning the next day, but conditions can change throughout the day.

Healthy people should reduce prolonged or strenuous outdoor exercise when planning activities for Sunday. Older people, pregnant women and children should minimise such exertion, while those with chronic heart or lung disease should avoid it.

For immediate decisions, NEA advises checking hourly PM2.5 readings and its personal activity guide through haze.gov.sg or the myENV app.

When hourly PM2.5 levels are elevated, healthy people should reduce strenuous outdoor activity for the next hour. Vulnerable groups should avoid strenuous exercise during that period.

Heavy showers fell over parts of Singapore on Saturday, but air quality stayed a concern. Smoke haze was also observed over Kalimantan.

Winds from the southwest or west are expected on Sunday. These conditions could limit smoke reaching Singapore, while showers over the island and nearby areas may help ease the haze.

NEA expects similar winds and showers on Monday and Tuesday, with conditions likely to improve.

The haze comes as Singapore increases efforts to identify companies potentially linked to fires across the region.

On Friday, NEA issued notices to 10 Singapore-based companies under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act for the first time since the law took effect.

Companies operating in the palm oil or forestry sectors must provide information on their corporate links, Indonesian land concessions, and fire prevention measures.

NEA is also seeking more information from 10 Indonesian companies previously issued notices.

Separately, the Ministry of Law plans to establish a specialist panel to examine corporate structures, supply chains and business ties that could help establish links to the fires.

For now, checking hourly pollution readings before heading outdoors is a sensible step. A planned run or long walk can wait until the air is safer to breathe.

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