One of the World’s Wealthiest Cities Is Enduring the World’s Most Polluted Air. Here’s Why
Singapore’s NEA said smoke plumes from Indonesian wildfires are keeping all five regions in the unhealthy range.
- On Wednesday, air quality across Singapore remained in the unhealthy range, with 24-hour PSI readings spanning from 107 to 146 across all five regions due to transboundary smoke haze from Sumatra and Kalimantan.
- A strong El Niño event has delayed the rainy north-east monsoon season, intensifying forest fires in Indonesia that continue generating moderate to dense smoke plumes drifting toward Singapore under prevailing southeasterly winds.
- Singapore's Haze Task Force has pre-positioned N95 mask distribution and air-conditioned haze shelters for deployment when the 24-hour PSI exceeds 200, while authorities advise vulnerable groups to minimize outdoor exertion.
- Neighboring Malaysia has closed schools across several states as air quality worsened, illustrating how transboundary smoke from Indonesian fires simultaneously impacts multiple nations and disrupts daily life across the region.
- Dry conditions are forecast to persist over southern Southeast Asia, maintaining transboundary haze risk through late October-November, though weekend showers may temporarily improve air quality in localized areas experiencing precipitation.
60 Articles
60 Articles
What's behind the wildfire in Indonesia that has turned Singapore's skies dark?
Wildfires in Indonesia have spread across Sumatra and Borneo, destroying homes and sending haze into Singapore. The crisis has highlighted how dry weather, El Nino and peatland fires can quickly become a regional public health threat.
Haze watch: PSI across Singapore remains unhealthy, PM2.5 improves in northern and southern regions
The 2026 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix may be over, with Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen conquering the Marina Bay Street Circuit, but the haze is still here.At 9am, PSI remains in the unhealthy range across Singapore, ranging from 104 in the northern region to 148 in the western region.The next highest recordings were recorded in central (146) and eastern (133) Singapore.Meanwhile, one-hour PM2.5 is back in the normal band in the southern (44…
'Grassroots organisations will begin distributing N95 masks to eligible Singaporeans,' explained the NEA.
Singapore is "ready to implement an action plan against the pollution cloud, such as the distribution of masks to the population, in the context of the dangerous degradation of air quality, announced Friday the city-state, according to AFP, taken by Agerpres. "Considering the current situation, it is possible that pollution "to reach very harmful levels for health, ...
The poisonous smog from Indonesia's forest fires paralyzes Southeast Asia. Malaysia closes schools, Singapore measures alarm levels – and indigenous peoples complain against the government in Jakarta.
Burned orangutans are rescued from burnt trees.
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