On a Sunday morning in late October, the air over Singapore carried a quiet contradiction: most of the island was breathing in the unhealthy band of the 24-hour pollution index, while the finer particles measured hour by hour sat comfortably within normal limits. Only the south, touched by a brief dip, held to the moderate side of the line. The haze that drifts across this small city-state has long reminded its people how much of their daily air is borrowed from distant fires and shifting weather, and this time the relief was expected to come from the wind and from rain, which might carry the
Singapore Haze Keeps Most Regions Unhealthy as PM2.5 Readings Stay Normal Nationwide
Only the south slipped below the line, at 98.
Mark
So what actually happened on Sunday morning?
Mimi
By 11am, most of Singapore had unhealthy 24-hour PSI readings, between 104 and 129. Only the south was lower, at 98.
Mark
And that's a pretty narrow margin for the south.
Mimi
Yes. It had dipped to 100 an hour earlier and left the unhealthy range, then went down to 98.
Mark
But the PM2.5 readings were normal everywhere. How does that fit?
Mimi
The hourly PM2.5 readings ran from 20 to 39 across all five regions, all in the normal band. The PSI is a 24-hour measure, so the two are looking at different time windows.
Luke
I'd be careful there. The report gives us both sets of numbers but doesn't explain the gap between them. The time-window point is about how the measures are defined, not something the article confirms as the cause on Sunday.
Mark
Fair. What did the NEA expect?
Mimi
A PSI range of 80 to 130 for Sunday, with southwest or west winds that could limit smoke haze reaching Singapore, plus showers.
Luke
Note the wording: "could limit" and "could help." Those are expectations, not outcomes. The only firm statement of improvement is "likely to improve," and that's a forecast for Monday and Tuesday.
Mark
So what do we watch?
Mimi
Whether the winds stay southwest or west through Tuesday, and whether the showers arrive.
El Pulso
- Most regions registered unhealthy 24-hour PSI readings between 104 and 129 on Sunday, pressing residents into a day of caution.
- The south alone hovered at 98, having slipped briefly out of the unhealthy range before easing back toward moderate.
- Hourly PM2.5 readings stayed normal everywhere, from 20 to 39, sharply at odds with the broader index.
- The National Environment Agency is betting on southwest and west winds and passing showers to push smoke away through Tuesday.
- The next PSI updates will show whether the southern dip spreads islandwide or the haze lingers.
On a Sunday morning in late October, the air over Singapore carried a quiet contradiction: most of the island was breathing in the unhealthy band of the 24-hour pollution index, while the finer particles measured hour by hour sat comfortably within normal limits. Only the south, touched by a brief dip, held to the moderate side of the line. The haze that drifts across this small city-state has long reminded its people how much of their daily air is borrowed from distant fires and shifting weather, and this time the relief was expected to come from the wind and from rain, which might carry the smoke away before it settles in.
At 11am on Sunday, October 25, Singapore's 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index ranged from 98 to 129 across its regions. Only the south stood below the line that separates moderate air from unhealthy air, reading 98. Earlier in the morning it had been unhealthy, dipping to 100 an hour before it crossed out of the unhealthy band. Every other region remained in the unhealthy range, between 104 and 129.
The hourly PM2.5 readings told a different story. All five regions measured in the normal band, from 20 to 39. The two measures pointed in different directions on the same morning because the 24-hour PSI reflects the preceding day rather than only the last hour.
The National Environment Agency had forecast the day the evening before, expecting a 24-hour PSI between 80 and 130, and Sunday's readings fell within that range. The agency credited the winds, expected to blow from the southwest or west and limit the transport of smoke haze, along with showers forecast over Singapore and the surrounding region.
Those conditions are expected to continue through Monday and Tuesday, and the agency said the haze situation is likely to improve. The coming updates will show whether the south's slip below 100 becomes the trend across the island.
At 11am on Sunday, October 25, the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index readings across Singapore ranged from 98 to 129. Only one of the country's regions sat below the line that separates moderate air from unhealthy air.
That region was the south. Its reading stood at 98 at 11am, which is in the good to moderate band. It had been unhealthy earlier: an hour before, the figure had dipped to 100 and left the unhealthy range, then eased a little further. The remaining regions were all in the unhealthy band, with readings between 104 and 129.
The hourly PM2.5 numbers told a different story. Across all five regions, the hourly readings were in the normal band, ranging from 20 to 39. So the two measures pointed in different directions on the same morning: the 24-hour PSI said unhealthy for most of the island, while the hourly fine-particulate readings said normal everywhere. The PSI figure is a 24-hour reading, which means it reflects conditions over the preceding day rather than only the last hour.
The day's outlook had been laid out the evening before. In its Saturday evening advisory, the National Environment Agency said the 24-hour PSI for Sunday was expected to range from 80 to 130. That span covers both the good to moderate bands and the unhealthy band. Sunday's actual readings, from 98 to 129, fell within that forecast.
The agency pointed to the winds as the main factor. It said they were expected to blow from the southwest or west, which "could limit transport of smoke haze to Singapore." It also said showers expected over Singapore and the surrounding region could help with haze conditions.
The pattern is forecast to hold for a couple more days. The NEA said southwest or west winds should continue on Monday and Tuesday. With showers expected over Singapore and its vicinity, the agency said, "the haze situation is likely to improve."
For now, the picture is mixed: unhealthy 24-hour readings in most regions, normal hourly PM2.5 everywhere, and a forecast that leans toward improvement. The next PSI updates, and whether the showers arrive as expected, will show whether the south's slip below 100 becomes the national trend.
Citas Notables
With showers expected over Singapore and the vicinity, the haze situation is likely to improve.— National Environment Agency
Winds are expected to blow from the southwest or west, which could limit transport of smoke haze to Singapore.— National Environment Agency
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