Haze in Singapore: Air quality deteriorating; PSI in central region back in unhealthy range

The haze as seen from Toa Payoh at 7am on Sept 29, 2026. The 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) in central Singapore was 155 at the time.

Published Oct 03, 2026, 11:04 AM

Updated Oct 03, 2026, 11:04 AM

SINGAPORE – The air quality in Singapore deteriorated on Oct 3, with the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) reading at 11 am dipping into the unhealthy range in the central region (102).

Although they remained in the moderate range, the National Environment Agency’s (NEA) PSI readings for all other regions also increased .

PM2.5 readings however, which are used as a gauge for immediate activities, remained in the normal range across the island.

Air quality is considered unhealthy when the 24-hour PSI is in the range of 101 to 200, while an hourly PM2.5 reading between 56 and 150 indicates an elevated concentration of fine particles.

The PSI – a 24-hour rolling average of six key air pollutants and used in planning for outdoor activities the next day – last crossed into the unhealthy range on Sept 30 . The day saw the entire island swathed in a fine milky haze, with the reading hitting a peak of 134 in central Singapore as at 1am . The high for the year was 167 , recorded on Sept 29 , also in the central region.

In its daily haze advisory issued in the evening of Oct 2, the NEA said the PSI is forecast to be in the moderate to low unhealthy range.

It added that moderate to dense smoke plumes from southern Sumatra in neighbouring Indonesia were observed to be drifting towards Singapore . Smoke haze was also observed from fires in Kalimantan and the smoke haze could be transported towards Singapore under the prevailing south-easterly or southerly winds .

The PSI crossed into the unhealthy range four weeks ago, hitting 101 in central Singapore on the morning of Sept 4. In the days that followed, readings in the central, eastern and western parts of the island occasionally crossed into the unhealthy range.

The developments in September mark the first time since October 2023 that the PSI in Singapore hit unhealthy levels because of haze, with the authorities earlier warning of the risk of haze between June and October as a result of warmer and drier conditions brought on by both El Nino and the Indian Ocean Dipole.

Some experts have predicted that the haze in Singapore in 2026 could last for a longer period due to the “Godzilla” El Nino event, which could reduce rainfall and result in higher temperatures over October and November, compared with non-El Nino years.

During non-El Nino years, the dry south-west monsoon season usually tapers off by September, and the start of the rainy north-east monsoon season tends to set in around late November.

The Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) told The Straits Times that El Nino events, particularly strong ones, tend to delay the retreat of the dry season for much of the southern ASEAN region and that the MSS is expecting a transition only during late October or early November for Singapore, later than in the previous two years.

这是2026年9月29日早上7点从大巴窑看到的雾霾。当时新加坡中部24小时污染物标准指数（PSI）为155。

发布于 2026 年 10 月 3 日上午 11:04

更新于2026年10月3日上午11:04

新加坡——10月3日，新加坡的空气质量恶化，上午11点的24小时污染物标准指数（PSI）读数在中部地区降至不健康范围（102）。

尽管其他所有地区的空气污染指数（PSI）读数仍处于中等水平，但国家环境局（NEA）的PSI读数也有所上升。

然而，作为衡量近期活动指标的 PM2.5 读数在全岛范围内仍处于正常范围内。

当 24 小时 PSI 值在 101 至 200 之间时，空气质量被认为是不健康的；而每小时 PM2.5 读数在 56 至 150 之间则表明细颗粒物浓度升高。

空气污染指数（PSI）——一项基于六种主要空气污染物24小时滚动平均值的指标，常用于规划次日的户外活动——上一次进入不健康范围是在9月30日。当天，整个新加坡岛都被一层薄薄的乳白色雾霾笼罩，凌晨1点，新加坡中部地区的PSI读数达到峰值134。今年的最高值是9月29日在中部地区测得的167。

国家环境局在10月2日晚间发布的每日雾霾预警中表示，预计空气污染指数（PSI）将处于中低不健康范围。

报告还指出，来自邻国印度尼西亚苏门答腊南部的中等至浓烟正向新加坡飘移。此外，加里曼丹岛的火灾也产生了烟霾，这些烟霾可能在盛行的东南风或南风的作用下向新加坡方向扩散。

四周前，新加坡空气污染指数（PSI）进入不健康范围，9月4日上午，新加坡中部地区的PSI达到101。在接下来的几天里，该岛中部、东部和西部地区的读数偶尔也会进入不健康范围。

9 月份的情况标志着自 2023 年 10 月以来，新加坡的空气污染指数 (PSI) 首次因雾霾达到不健康水平。此前，当局曾警告称，由于厄尔尼诺现象和印度洋偶极子现象带来的气候变暖和干燥，6 月至 10 月期间存在雾霾风险。

一些专家预测，由于“哥斯拉”厄尔尼诺现象，2026 年新加坡的雾霾可能会持续更长时间，与非厄尔尼诺年份相比，这可能会减少降雨量，并导致 10 月和 11 月气温升高。

在非厄尔尼诺年份，干燥的西南季风季节通常在 9 月份逐渐结束，而多雨的东北季风季节往往在 11 月下旬左右开始。

新加坡气象局 (MSS) 告诉《海峡时报》，厄尔尼诺现象，尤其是强烈的厄尔尼诺现象，往往会推迟东盟南部大部分地区旱季的结束，MSS 预计新加坡的旱季过渡期要到 10 月下旬或 11 月初才会到来，比前两年要晚。