Haze in Singapore: Air quality remains unhealthy for much of the island

A photo of hazy conditions, as seen from Teban Gardens in the direction of Clementi, taken at 10.30am on Oct 5.

ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI

Published Oct 06, 2026, 06:11 AM

Updated Oct 06, 2026, 06:11 AM

SINGAPORE – The air quality across most of Singapore remained in the unhealthy range early on Oct 6, with the north (107), east (112), west (117) and central (130) regions all above the 101 threshold at 6am on the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI).

Only the south (95) remained in the moderate range.

Air quality is considered unhealthy when the PSI – a 24-hour rolling average of six key air pollutants and used in planning for outdoor activities the next day – is in the range of 101 to 200.

PM2.5 readings, which are used as a gauge for immediate activities, were elevated in three of the five regions – the east (56) , west (59) and central (60).

The PM2.5 remained at the normal levels in the south (35) and north (48) .

An hourly PM2.5 reading between 56 and 150 indicates an elevated concentration of fine particles.

Between 9pm and midnight on Oct 4, the entire island was shrouded in unhealthy air, with the peak being a 136 reading on the PSI at midnight in the central region. The central and west regions are the only two regions to lie in the unhealthy range for at least 24 hours.

In its daily haze advisory on Oct 5, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said that with the prevailing winds expected to blow from the south-east or east-southeast, the 24-hour PSI is forecast to be in the “high moderate to mid unhealthy” range.

Dry conditions are expected to persist over Kalimantan and southern Sumatra in neighbouring Indonesia, where moderate to dense smoke plumes were observed to be drifting towards Singapore.

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 highest reading of the year - 164 in central Singapore - was recorded on Sept 29.

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 this year could last for a longer period due to this year’s “Godzilla” El Nino event, which could reduce rainfall and result in higher temperatures over October-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.

National Environment Agency

Meteorological Service Singapore

10 月 5 日上午 10 点 30 分，从德班花园向金文泰方向拍摄的一张照片，展现了雾霾天气。

ST 摄影：AZMI ATHNI

发布于 2026 年 10 月 6 日上午 6:11

更新于2026年10月6日 上午6:11

新加坡——10 月 6 日清晨，新加坡大部分地区的空气质量仍处于不健康范围，北部（107）、东部（112）、西部（117）和中部（130）地区的 24 小时污染物标准指数 (PSI) 在早上 6 点均超过了 101 的阈值。

只有南部（95）仍处于中等范围。

当 PSI（六种主要空气污染物的 24 小时滚动平均值，用于规划第二天的户外活动）在 101 到 200 的范围内时，空气质量被认为是不健康的。

PM2.5 读数被用作衡量当前活动的指标，五个区域中有三个区域的读数升高，分别是东部（56）、西部（59）和中部（60）。

南部（35）和北部（48）的 PM2.5 浓度保持在正常水平。

PM2.5 小时读数在 56 至 150 之间表示细颗粒物浓度升高。

10月4日晚9点至午夜，全岛空气质量恶劣，中部地区午夜时分空气污染指数（PSI）高达136。中部和西部地区是仅有的两个连续24小时空气质量处于不健康范围的地区。

国家环境局 (NEA) 在 10 月 5 日发布的每日雾霾预警中表示，由于预计盛行风向为东南或东南偏东，24 小时空气污染指数 (PSI) 预计将处于“高中度至中度不健康”的范围内。

预计邻近的印度尼西亚加里曼丹岛和苏门答腊岛南部将持续干旱，观测到中等至浓重的烟雾正向新加坡飘去。

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。

今年最高读数——新加坡中部 164——出现在 9 月 29 日。

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，由于今年的“哥斯拉”厄尔尼诺现象，新加坡今年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 月至 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。

国家环境局

新加坡气象局