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

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.

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 .

新加坡居民周四（10 月 22 日）醒来时发现空气质量连续第五天改善——这一良好势头始于 10 月 18 日。

虽然每小时 PM2.5 和 24 小时污染物标准指数 (PSI) 尚未恢复到 9 月 4 日之前的水平（当时空气质量今年首次进入不健康范围），但过去几天的每小时浓度读数一直保持在正常或略高的范围内。

随着风向转为南风，情况有所好转。

早上8点，新加坡各地的PM2.5浓度处于正常范围内。

与此同时，除新加坡西部地区 PSI 指数为 108（属于低不健康水平）外，所有地区的 PSI 指数均处于良好至中等水平。

新加坡国家环境局（NEA）在周三晚间发布的每日雾霾情况更新中警告说，周四和周五仍有可能出现烟雾飘向新加坡。

报告指出，虽然新加坡及其周边地区预计将有阵雨，但加里曼丹南部地区预计仍将保持干燥天气。

再加上盛行的东南偏东风或东南风，这意味着加里曼丹岛火灾产生的烟雾可能会被输送到新加坡——预计 24 小时污染物标准指数 (PSI) 将在 101 到 160 之间——处于不健康范围内。

预计这种情况将持续到周五。

公众在参加任何户外活动前，应查看最新的浓度读数。

雇主应注意人力部周二发布的补充指导意见，根据每小时的 PM2.5 读数调整户外工作。