SG air quality to remain moderate as rainfall curbs haze threat

SINGAPORE: The National Environment Agency (NEA) has announced that Singapore’s air quality is expected to remain moderate on Wednesday (11 Oct), with the threat of haze significantly reduced. This positive outlook is attributed to the forecast of increased rainfall across the island and surrounding areas and a substantial decrease in fire spots in Sumatra.

In the latest haze report released by the NEA on Tuesday evening (10 Oct), the 24-hour pollutant standard index (PSI) ranged from 60 to 85 as of 9pm. While this range was slightly higher than the same time the previous day, it remains within the moderate category. The eastern region of Singapore recorded the highest PSI at 85, followed by the central, south, and north regions at 82, 77, and 64, respectively. The western region boasted the lowest PSI at 60.

As of 9pm, the one-hour PM2.5 suspended particle concentration across the island varied from 15 micrograms to 41 micrograms per cubic meter, indicating normal levels. This information assures the public that outdoor activities can proceed as usual without health concerns.

The NEA attributed the continuation of moderate air quality to thundershowers that occurred across the island around noon on Tuesday. These rains contributed to maintaining the 24-hour PSI at moderate levels for three consecutive days.

Furthermore, weather satellite images revealed that only 15 fire spots were detected in southern and central Sumatra on Tuesday. Although some moderate haze is lingering in the southern part of the region, prevailing winds have effectively dispersed the haze away from neighbouring countries, including Singapore.

Further, the forecast for areas north of the Kalimantan region anticipates cloudy weather with showers, which should help control the number of fire spots.

This favourable development comes after Singapore experienced “unhealthy” air quality levels last Saturday (7 Oct), when the PSI exceeded 100 for the first time since 2019, reaching as high as 123.

On Friday (6 Oct), the most fire spots detected by weather satellites in Sumatra totalled 212. However, the recent progress in weather conditions and firefighting efforts in the region have significantly reduced the haze threat to Singapore.