Air quality hits unhealthy range in central Singapore; 1-hour PM2.5 elevated in 2 regions
The 24-hour PSI entered the unhealthy range in the central region at 11am on Saturday.
A view of the haze from VivoCity shopping mall on Sep 29, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Ili Mansor)
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SINGAPORE: Air quality in central Singapore crossed into the unhealthy range at 11am on Saturday (Oct 3) morning, while readings in the other four regions remained moderate.
At 12pm, the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) in the central region rose to 104. Readings were 95 in the east, 92 in the west, 87 in the south and 77 in the north.
The 1-hour PM2.5 reading at 12pm, which reflects air quality at a single point in time, was in the elevated band in the central and eastern regions.
The latest readings come after the National Environment Agency (NEA) said in an advisory on Friday evening that smoke haze could be transported towards Singapore under prevailing southeasterly or southerly winds.
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Moderate to dense smoke plumes from southern Sumatra had been observed drifting towards Singapore, while smoke haze was also observed from fires in Kalimantan, NEA said.
Dry conditions were expected to persist over Singapore and the surrounding region on Saturday, with NEA forecasting the 24-hour PSI for Singapore to be in the moderate to low-unhealthy range.
As of 6pm on Friday, the 24-hour PSI ranged from 64 to 81, within the moderate range. The 1-hour PM2.5 readings ranged from 44 to 73 micrograms per cubic metre, spanning the normal and elevated bands.
The agency advised healthy people to reduce prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion if the 24-hour PSI is in the unhealthy range.
Elderly people, pregnant women and children should minimise prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion, while people with chronic lung or heart disease should avoid such activity.
NEA said the health impact of haze depends on a person’s health status, the PSI level, and the length and intensity of outdoor activity.
For immediate outdoor activities, people should refer to the 1-hour PM2.5 readings and corresponding personal guide, while the 24-hour PSI forecast and health advisories should be used when planning outdoor activities for the next day.
The 24-hour PSI is Singapore’s indicator of daily air quality and forms the basis of NEA’s daily health advisories. It is calculated using six air pollutants – PM2.5, PM10, ozone, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide – and reflects the average air quality of the past 24 hours.
The 1-hour PM2.5 reading, on the other hand, is the hourly average of the PM2.5 pollutant levels. PM2.5 is fine particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or shorter, and is the dominant pollutant during haze that causes harm to health.
A 24-hour PSI reading is considered “unhealthy” when it is in the 101 to 200 range, “very unhealthy” when it is within the 201-300 range, and “hazardous” when it goes over 300.
The hourly PM2.5 reading is classified in four bands: normal, elevated, high and very high. It is considered elevated when it ranges from 56 to 150. The “high” band ranges from 151 to 250, and readings above that are classified as “very high”.
Source: CNA/bg
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