Singapore’s COVID-19 pandemic rules may have eased, but it could soon be time to mask up once again, as the upcoming haze season approaches.
Businesses here are preparing for a rise in demand for masks and air purifiers, after authorities advised the public to protect themselves against dust and smoke particles as the region enters the dry season. Mask suppliers are ramping up manufacturing orders by 30 percent to meet the surge in demand for N95 masks, while more families are also seeking ways to improve air quality at home.
Asia has been hit with heatwaves and record-breaking temperatures since April, and Singapore is no exception.
After heatwaves struck large parts of the continent in April, temperatures spiked again late last month, which is normally the start of the cooler monsoon season.
The situation is expected to worsen as scientists expect El Nino conditions to return this year, bringing with it lower rainfall and warmer temperatures, which increase risks of vegetation fires that could lead to a higher chance of haze.
As locals prepare for hazy conditions, medical supplies company Pharmex Healthcare told CNA it has sold three times more N95 masks over the past few weeks.
With the double whammy of an expected El Nino and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), this year’s dry season could be more “intense and prolonged” compared to recent years, lasting until October, according to the Meteorological Service Singapore (Met Service).
The period between June and September is the usual dry season for Singapore and the surrounding region.
A positive IOD causes sea surface temperatures in the eastern Indian Ocean to cool, resulting in less cloud formation and below average rainfall in the eastern Indian Ocean and surrounding regions, including Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore.
The Met Service said last month that the government’s Inter-Agency Haze Task Force is coordinating action plans in preparation for the seasonal air pollution.
Source: CNA
