Singapore’s central region slipped back into the unhealthy air quality range on Monday as haze persisted across parts of the region amid ongoing hotspots in Indonesia.
The 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) reached 102 in the central region at noon before climbing to 108 by 2pm, according to Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA).
The other four regions recorded moderate readings at the same time, ranging from 83 in the north to 96 in the east.
NEA said dry conditions were observed across the southern Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region on Monday morning, with showers recorded over parts of Sumatra.
Hotspots were detected in southern Sumatra as well as western, central and southern Kalimantan. A smaller number of hotspots were also detected in Peninsular Malaysia and Java.
Moderate to dense haze was observed over central and southern Sumatra as well as western and central Kalimantan, while transboundary haze was reported in parts of Sarawak, Peninsular Malaysia and southern Vietnam.
Singapore’s central region had previously entered the unhealthy PSI range on Sept 4 for the first time since 2023, prompting NEA to begin issuing daily haze advisories.
A PSI reading between 101 and 200 is classified as unhealthy, while readings between 201 and 300 are considered very unhealthy and those above 300 hazardous.
CNA
