Spike in PM2.5 in Singapore catches people off guard, haze hits businesses and outdoor workers

PM2.5 levels climbed above 280 in western Singapore on Wednesday, prompting a rush for N95 masks and air purifiers.

The haze at the park connector beside Petir Road in Bukit Panjang on Oct 14, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Syamil Sapari)

This audio is generated by an AI tool.

SINGAPORE: From food delivery riders to office workers, people in Singapore were caught off guard as PM2.5 levels spiked to 288 in the western part of the country on Wednesday afternoon (Oct 14).

This is the highest reading since Oct 2015 .

PM2.5 levels began rising since noon, with the west's air quality remaining above 230 from 3pm to 8pm. In the central parts of Singapore, PM2.5 readings have been above 200 in the same time frame.

But for some, like Mr Lim, who declined to give his full name, the poor air quality is something the Grab food delivery rider has to brave.

"My throat is itching and my eyes are watering. Wearing a mask while riding with my helmet in this heat is also extremely uncomfortable," said the 45-year-old who delivers food for about 10 hours a day on average.

"But I can't stop delivering food, because I'm not paid for the days I hide at home. I just need to deliver (food) through the haze."

CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less

A couple wearing masks as they walk through the central business district, Oct 14, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Wallace Woon)

Several businesses such as hawkers and alfresco dining outlets also said that they have noticed a drop of business of up to 60 per cent since the haze began, and are worried that they may lose more customers if the situation persists.

Provost’s Chair Professor Rajasekhar Balasubramanian from the National University of Singapore's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering said that for decisions about spending time outdoors, the 1-hour PM2.5 reading is "particularly useful" for assessing current fine-particle pollution levels, especially when considering strenuous outdoor activities.

"The PSI provides a broader indication of overall air quality. Both readings should be considered alongside official health advisories when deciding whether to exercise outdoors," he added.

PM2.5 readings indicate the concentration of fine particulate matter in the air, while the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) is an air-quality index calculated from pollutant concentrations averaged over specified periods.

Haze contingency measures should consider 1-hour PM2.5 readings, along with their temporal trends and spatial distribution, to identify sudden deteriorations in air quality and enable timely responses, he said.

SEARCH FOR MASKS, AIR PURIFIERS

With the PM2.5 hitting the "very high" band, some tried to buy N95 masks from pharmacies on Wednesday afternoon – only to be told they were sold out.

Mr Kelvin Leong, 39, a business support administrative staff member, was one of those disappointed as he could not buy N95 masks.

"My office manager and I went to the nearest Guardian and Watsons, and one of the sales staff said, 'you're the 100th person asking about masks, sorry we're sold out'," said the business support administrative staff member, adding that the masks were also sold out online.

People queuing to collect free masks at a vending machine at Clementi Bus Interchange on Oct 14, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Charmaine Jacob)

A vending machine holding 500 masks has been set up at Clementi Bus Interchange on Oct 14, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Charmaine Jacob)

The government has brought forward the distribution of N95 masks to vulnerable Singaporeans ahead of time at designated collection points, such as community clubs and vending machines at selected public transport hubs. The National Environment Agency (NEA) said they may not be immediately available at all locations.

CNA spotted several seniors queueing up at a vending machine in Clementi at around 5.40pm.

Among those in the queue was 72-year-old YK Choo, who had received two text messages informing him that masks would be available.

“It’s always good to make it available for situations like these. It’s sudden and chronic, so this allows mass distribution in an effective and fast way,” he added.

However, he expects them to run out “very soon”, citing the demand for masks during the COVID-19 pandemic as an example.

Ms Jenny Ling, 26, an engineer, also left disappointed. She had arrived at Boon Lay Community Club five minutes before 7pm to try getting some free masks, but found that the collection point had closed.

“When the news of the high readings hit today, I told my parents to close the doors and windows just in case. But other than that, we haven’t done anything much differently,” she said.

“I’m thinking of buying an air purifier, but I heard it’s sold out everywhere."

At Funan mall, sales staff at three stores – Courts, Best Denki and Xiaomi – told CNA that stock for air purifiers had run out for at least a week.

Units and promotional posters were still displayed at the stores, prompting customers to enquire but leave empty-handed.

One hopeful customer at Courts, who declined to be named, said it was the third store he had visited on Wednesday to look for an air purifier.

Electronics store Xiaomi’s salesperson Vincent Seow told CNA that its stock for air purifiers has run out for over a week across all its stores in Singapore - but this has not stopped customers from asking.

"There, hear the phone ringing?" he said when asked how often customers ask about air purifiers. "Every day we get about 200 queries."

AFFECTED BUSINESS, LIVELIHOODS

Several businesses have also felt the impact of the haze on their top line as their customers spend more time at home.

Alfresco food and beverage establishments along Boat Quay said they have noticed a dip in customers since the haze started.

At Shahi Maharaja Restaurant and Bar, its owner Mr Sahil SK lamented cancelled reservations and fewer walk-ins.

"Our business here depends a lot on tourists. If I'm a tourist in any country, I see that the haze is so bad outside, I also wouldn't want to get out of my room," said Mr Sahil, adding that business is down by 60 per cent.

He added that on a typical day, diners would not mind queuing for two hours for a table overlooking the Singapore River. "Now, many ask to sit indoors instead."

Mr Jonathan Lim, general manager of A Bar Called A Bar that opened in June, said business "has been a bit slow" the past couple of weeks.

He attributed this to more workers working from home amid the worsening haze.

Grab delivery rider Roy Tham, 50, delivering food amid the haze at Bukit Batok on Oct 14, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Syamil Sapari)

He added that unlike other F&B businesses that could possibly rely on food delivery order, that was not much of an option for bars like his.

Hawkers are feeling the pinch on their business, as well as on their health.

Ms Zahirah Amran, 40, who works at hawker stall Abang by Pondok Abang in Clementi, said that business has dropped by about 10 to 20 per cent this week.

"I had a bit of difficulty breathing today as the haze has got worse today. Once I get a break off work, I'm going to try to buy some masks for my children and (me)," she said, adding that she has a 10-year-old son and seven-year-old daughter.

Food delivery drivers need to brave the elements, but a silver lining is that they may see more demand for food delivery as the haze keeps people indoors.

"I'm noticing a few more orders today. At least I'll get to earn more," said 50-year-old food delivery driver Roy Tham.

As for Mr Sam, 39, who declined to give his full name, he said he coughed for five minutes "non-stop" due to the haze.

"On other days I can tahan (Malay for endure), but today I really couldn't," he said to CNA outside of a restaurant along Circuit Road.

He said he might try to cut down the amount of time spent outdoors, but admitted it was difficult to do so as it would adversely impact his income.

PAUSE ON OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Parents also said they were concerned about the impact of the haze on their young children, and hoped for schools to enhance precautions.

Civil servant Lee Jing Hui, 39, said schools should consider implementing an option for home-based learning so that her Primary 3 child could stay home.

A man props his leg up on a seat while pictured against the Supreme Court and Parliament buildings shrouded in haze, Oct 14, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Wallace Woon)

"He woke up complaining his eyes were very dry this morning – likely due to the haze," said Ms Lee.

Should air quality remain poor on Thursday, she might keep her son at home. Her toddler can still continue going to school as the kindergarten is air-conditioned.

"I'm also keeping the children at home instead of allowing them to visit the playground. But to get their exercise in, I do turn on the television for them to follow along, although that comes with the problem of increased screentime," said Ms Lee.

Similarly, Mdm Nicole Cheah, 42, a mother of two, said her children's eczema has begun to flare up with the haze. As school is out on Wednesday for PSLE, she brought them to Bukit Batok Library to enjoy some air-conditioned comfort.

Exercise goers were also turned away from outdoor and open-air ActiveSG facilities from 2.30pm on Tuesday.

Some like Madam Wong, a 59-year-old pickleball enthusiast who declined to give her full name, had also turned up at the sports centre in Clementi hoping to play her weekly session.

“I saw the news that the hall was closed, but wanted to check it out in case I had read wrongly,” she said.

“It’s good they have closed though. I’m going to quickly head home and avoid staying out in this weather for too long.”

But even the haze could not stop punters from trying their luck. CNA spotted several people braving the smog – with and without masks – at a Singapore Pools outlet in Clementi for a chance of winning big.

One woman in her 70s, who did not want to be named, said: "I'm still healthy, maybe the haze will help my luck."

Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox

Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories

Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app

周三，新加坡西部地区的 PM2.5 浓度攀升至 280 以上，引发了 N95 口罩和空气净化器的抢购潮。

2026 年 10 月 14 日，武吉班让 Petir 路旁公园连接器处的雾霾。（照片：CNA/Syamil Sapari）

这段音频由人工智能工具生成。

新加坡：周三下午（10 月 14 日），新加坡西部地区的 PM2.5 浓度飙升至 288，令从外卖骑手到上班族等新加坡民众措手不及。

这是自2015年10月以来的最高读数。

PM2.5浓度从中午开始上升，西部地区的空气质量在下午3点至晚上8点期间一直高于230。新加坡中部地区在同一时间段内的PM2.5读数也高于200。

但对于一些人来说，比如不愿透露全名的林先生，糟糕的空气质量是 Grab 送餐员不得不面对的现实。

“我的喉咙发痒，眼睛也流泪。在这种天气下骑车戴头盔还要戴口罩，实在太难受了，”这位45岁的送餐员说道，他平均每天送餐约10个小时。

“但我不能停止送餐，因为我躲在家里的那些日子是没有收入的。我必须冒着雾霾送餐。”

CNA游戏 猜词游戏 逐行破解单词 流行词游戏 用给定的字母组成单词 迷你数独 小小谜题，挑战你的大脑 迷你填字游戏 小方格，大挑战 单词搜索 尽可能多地找出单词 显示更多 显示更少

2026年10月14日，一对戴着口罩的夫妇走过中央商务区。（图片：CNA/Wallace Woon）

一些商家，例如小贩和露天餐饮店也表示，自雾霾开始以来，他们的生意下降了高达 60%，并担心如果这种情况持续下去，他们可能会失去更多顾客。

新加坡国立大学土木与环境工程系教务长讲席教授拉贾塞卡尔·巴拉苏布拉马尼亚表示，对于决定在户外花费时间而言，1 小时 PM2.5 读数对于评估当前的细颗粒物污染水平“特别有用”，尤其是在考虑剧烈的户外活动时。

“PSI指数能更全面地反映整体空气质量。在决定是否进行户外运动时，应将这两个指标与官方健康建议结合起来考虑，”他补充道。

PM2.5读数表示空气中细颗粒物的浓度，而污染物标准指数（PSI）是根据特定时期内污染物浓度的平均值计算出的空气质量指数。

他表示，雾霾应急措施应考虑 1 小时 PM2.5 读数及其时间趋势和空间分布，以便识别空气质量的突然恶化并及时做出反应。

搜索口罩、空气净化器

由于 PM2.5 浓度达到“非常高”级别，一些人在周三下午试图从药店购买 N95 口罩，却被告知口罩已售罄。

39岁的梁凯文先生是一名企业支持行政人员，他也是因买不到N95口罩而感到失望的人之一。

“我和我的办公室经理去了最近的 Guardian 和 Watsons，其中一位销售人员说，‘你们是第 100 个询问口罩的人了，抱歉，我们已经售罄了’，”这位业务支持行政人员说，并补充说，口罩在网上也已售罄。

2026年10月14日，人们在金文泰巴士转换站的自动售货机前排队领取免费口罩。（图片：CNA/Charmaine Jacob）

2026年10月14日，金文泰巴士转换站设立了一台装有500个口罩的自动售货机。（图片：CNA/Charmaine Jacob）

政府已提前向弱势新加坡民众分发N95口罩，领取地点包括民众俱乐部和部分公共交通枢纽的自动售货机等指定地点。国家环境局（NEA）表示，口罩可能无法立即在所有地点提供。

下午5点40分左右，CNA记者在金文泰的一台自动售货机前发现几位老年人在排队。

排队的人中有一位72岁的YK Choo，他收到了两条短信，通知他将会有口罩供应。

“在类似情况下，提供这种物资总是好的。疫情来势汹汹且持续时间长，所以这种物资可以有效、快速地进行大规模分发，”他补充道。

然而，他预计这些物资“很快就会”用完，并以新冠肺炎疫情期间对口罩的需求为例。

26岁的工程师林珍妮也失望而归。她晚上7点前5分钟到达文礼民众俱乐部，想领取一些免费口罩，却发现领取点已经关闭了。

“今天高温天气传来消息后，我告诉父母为了以防万一，把门窗都关好。除此之外，我们并没有做任何特别的改变，”她说。

“我正考虑买一台空气净化器，但我听说到处都卖光了。”

在福南购物中心，三家商店——Courts、Best Denki 和小米——的销售人员告诉中央社，空气净化器的库存至少在一周内都已售罄。

商店里仍然摆放着产品展示品和宣传海报，吸引顾客前来询问，但最终却空手而归。

一位不愿透露姓名的顾客在 Courts 商店表示，这是他周三为了寻找空气净化器而光顾的第三家商店。

小米电子产品销售员 Vincent Seow 告诉 CNA，其在新加坡所有门店的空气净化器库存已经断货一周多了——但这并没有阻止顾客前来询问。

“听见电话铃响了吗？”当被问及顾客咨询空气净化器的频率时，他说道，“我们每天大约会接到200个咨询。”

受影响的企业和生计

由于顾客待在家里的时间更长，一些企业也感受到了雾霾对其营业额的影响。

驳船码头沿线的露天餐饮场所表示，自雾霾开始以来，顾客数量有所下降。

Shahi Maharaja 餐厅酒吧的老板 Sahil SK 先生感叹预订被取消，而直接到店的客人却越来越少。

“我们这里的生意很大程度上依赖游客。如果我是任何一个国家的游客，看到外面雾霾这么严重，我也不想出门，”萨希尔先生说，并补充说生意下降了60%。

他还补充说，平时食客们并不介意排队两小时，只为抢到一张可以俯瞰新加坡河的桌子。“现在，许多人却要求坐在室内。”

6 月份开业的 A Bar Called A Bar 的总经理 Jonathan Lim 先生表示，过去几周的生意“有点冷清”。

他将此归因于雾霾加剧导致更多员工在家办公。

2026年10月14日，50岁的Grab外卖员Roy Tham在武吉巴督的雾霾中送餐。（图片：CNA/Syamil Sapari）

他还补充说，与其他可能依赖外卖订单的餐饮企业不同，对于像他这样的酒吧来说，外卖并不是一个好选择。

小贩们的生意和健康都受到了影响。

40岁的扎希拉·阿姆兰女士在金文泰的阿邦路阿邦小贩摊位工作，她说本周生意下降了约10%至20%。

“今天雾霾加重，我呼吸有点困难。等我休息的时候，我会去买些口罩给我和孩子们用，”她说道，并补充说她有一个10岁的儿子和一个7岁的女儿。

外卖员需要冒着恶劣天气工作，但好处是，由于雾霾使人们待在室内，外卖需求可能会增加。

“我注意到今天订单多了些。至少我能多赚点钱，”50岁的送餐员罗伊·谭说道。

至于39岁的萨姆先生（他拒绝透露全名），他说由于雾霾，他“不停地”咳嗽了五分钟。

“平时我都能忍耐（马来语：tahan），但今天我真的忍不住了，”他在环路（Circuit Road）一家餐馆外对亚洲新闻台（CNA）记者说道。

他说他可能会尽量减少户外活动时间，但也承认这样做很困难，因为这会对他的收入产生不利影响。

暂停户外活动

家长们还表示，他们担心雾霾会对年幼的孩子造成影响，并希望学校加强预防措施。

39岁的公务员李静慧表示，学校应该考虑实施居家学习方案，这样她上小学三年级的孩子就可以待在家里。

2026年10月14日，一名男子将腿翘在椅子上，背景是笼罩在薄雾中的最高法院和国会大厦。（图片：CNA/Wallace Woon）

李女士说：“他今天早上醒来抱怨眼睛很干涩——可能是因为雾霾造成的。”

如果周四空气质量仍然很差，她可能会让儿子待在家里。她的小女儿仍然可以继续上学，因为幼儿园有空调。

李女士说：“我让孩子们待在家里，不让他们去游乐场玩。为了让他们锻炼身体，我会打开电视让他们跟着看，但这也带来了屏幕时间过长的问题。”

同样，42岁的妮可·谢女士（Nicole Cheah）是两个孩子的母亲，她说雾霾导致她孩子的湿疹开始复发。由于周三是小学离校考试日，学校放假，她便带孩子们去了武吉巴督图书馆，享受一下空调带来的舒适。

周二下午 2 点 30 分起，运动爱好者也被禁止进入 ActiveSG 的户外和露天设施。

像黄女士这样的人，一位59岁的匹克球爱好者（她拒绝透露全名），也来到了金文泰的体育中心，希望参加她每周的匹克球训练。

“我看到新闻说大厅关闭了，但为了以防万一我理解错了，还是想亲自去看看，”她说。

“他们关门了也好。我打算赶紧回家，不想在这种天气里待太久。”

但即便雾霾也未能阻止赌客们碰碰运气。亚洲新闻台（CNA）在金文泰的一家新加坡博彩公司投注站发现，不少人冒着雾霾——有的戴着口罩，有的没戴——前来碰碰运气，希望能赢得大奖。

一位不愿透露姓名的70多岁妇女说：“我身体还很健康，也许雾霾会给我带来好运。”

订阅我们的邮件，即可获取精选热点新闻和引人深思的文章。

订阅通知，第一时间获取突发新闻和精彩报道。

加入我们的频道，即可在您常用的聊天应用上获取当日热门文章。