NEA observes ‘escalation’ in hotspots near S’pore as air quality nears unhealthy range on 24 Aug

Air quality in central S’pore hits 98 PSI on night of 24 Aug, close to unhealthy range

The air quality in central Singapore hit a 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) reading of 98 on Monday (24 Aug) night, close to the “unhealthy” range, according to the National Environment Agency’s haze microsite.

Earlier, NEA said in a Facebook post that it observed an “escalation” in hotspot and smoke haze activity in the region last weekend.

PSI in central & east S’pore close to ‘unhealthy’ range on 24 Aug

According to NEA, the central area had the poorest air quality in Singapore on Monday night.

As of 10pm, its PSI was 98, with east Singapore having the second-highest reading of 87.

While both readings put the air quality in the “moderate” range, they were very close to the “unhealthy” range, which is anything from 101 to 200.

Hazy conditions on 24 Aug afternoon too

Earlier in the afternoon, the PSI in central Singapore was 90 at 1pm. It rose to 91 at 2pm.

As for the one-hour PM2.5 – the average concentration of PM2.5 measured in the air over the past hour – it ranged from 32ug/m3 to 59ug/m3 at 1pm, within the “normal” and “elevated” range.

A reading of between 151ug/m3 and 250ug/m3 is considered “high”.

Hotspots & smoke detected from Indonesia

NEA said in its post that hotspots and dense smoke plumes had been detected from Indonesia, mainly in Kalimantan and southern Sumatra over the weekend.

Some smoke plumes were also observed in the Riau Islands.

NEA thus warned of “occasional periods” of haze over Singapore.

This would be due to the current dry conditions, which are expected to persist this week, as well as the prevailing winds that are blowing from the south or southeast.

Public advised to check haze levels before planning outdoor activities

NEA is “closely monitoring” the overall air quality, it said.

Should air quality worsen, necessary advisories will be issued.

Members of the public should check the NEA website, haze microsite and myENV app for real-time information on air quality.

Before planning immediate outdoor activities, they should also refer to the one-hour PM2.5 levels and personal guide.

Also read: ‘Red alert’ severe haze warning for S’pore due to El Nino, biofuel demands: SIIA

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Featured image adapted from Tin Kerne via CloudSpotting & SkySpotting Singapore on Facebook and National Environment Agency on Facebook.