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Haze watch Oct 22: PM2.5 normal islandwide, PSI moderate in 4 regions

Smoke haze may still be transported towards Singapore on Thursday and Friday
Haze watch Oct 22: PM2.5 normal islandwide, PSI moderate in 4 regions
During a stretch of unhealthy to very unhealthy air quality between Oct 5 and 17, Bukit Timah Hill was not always visible, unlike on Oct 21, when this picture was taken.
PHOTO: AsiaOne/Dennis Palit

Residents in Singapore on Thursday (Oct 22) woke up to better air quality for a fifth consecutive day  — a run that began on Oct 18.

While hourly PM2.5 and 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) have not returned to levels recorded before Sept 4, when air quality entered the unhealthy range for the first time this year, hourly concentration readings have stayed in the normal to low-elevated bands over the past days.

The improvement came as winds turned to blow from the south.

At 8am, PM2.5 was in the normal band across Singapore.

Meanwhile, PSI was in the good-to-moderate range in all regions, except in western Singapore with a low-unhealthy PSI of 108.

The health impact of haze is dependent on one’s health status, the PSI level, and the length and intensity of outdoor activity.

In its daily haze situation update on Wednesday evening, the National Environment Agency (NEA) cautioned that smoke haze may still be transported towards Singapore on Thursday and Friday.

It pointed out that while showers are forecast over Singapore and the surrounding region, dry conditions are again expected over the southern parts of Kalimantan.

This, coupled with the prevailing east-southeasterly or south-easterly winds, means that smoke haze from fires in Kalimantan may be transported towards Singapore — with the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) forecast to be between 101 and 160 — in the unhealthy range.

The situation is forecast to persist into Friday.

Members of the public should check the latest concentration readings before participating in any outdoor activities.

Employers should take note of the Ministry of Manpower's Tuesday additional guidance to adjust outdoor work based on the hourly PM2.5 readings. 

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