SINGAPORE, Oct 7 — Singapore is likely to experience haze over the weekend if the fires in Sumatra persist and the wind direction is unfavourable, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said.
“There has been a significant increase in the number of hotspots in Sumatra, with 212 detected on October 6, compared with 65 and 15 on October 5 and October 4, respectively,” it said on its website.
Satellite imagery over southern and central Sumatra observed smoke plumes and haze.
“A brief shift in the wind direction on Friday (October 6) afternoon, from southeasterly to southerly, blew some of the lighter haze toward Singapore and caused a deterioration in air quality,” it said.
NEA noted the 1-hour PM2.5 levels in the southern and eastern parts of Singapore entered elevated levels (above 55 ug/m3) in the afternoon of October 6, and remained elevated at 10pm.
“Should the situation persist, the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) could enter the Unhealthy range (PSI >100) over the weekend,” it said.
The agency will begin providing daily haze advisories from the evening of October 7.
The daily haze advisory includes the 24-hour PSI forecast, which the public can use in planning their activities and events for the next 24 hours, it said.
NEA said advisories have earlier been issued to various sectors, including healthcare institutions, pre-schools, schools, and workplaces, to remind them to take appropriate haze management measures should the 24-hour PSI enter the unhealthy range, especially to protect more vulnerable groups.
— Bernama
