Singapore: Rain should keep haze at bay for next three days

Maria Almenoar Straits Times 26 Oct 10;

SINGAPORE is likely to be haze-free for the next three days, said the National Environment Agency (NEA).

With the region expected to see an increase in rainfall during the week, the haze situation will improve across the region as well as in Singapore.

Over the weekend, showers across the island brought the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) to the lowest level in at least four days. Yesterday, the PSI reading at 7am stood at a low 13 and climbed up to 30 at 8pm, which is still in the 'good' range.

The NEA said it could not determine the number of hot spots in Sumatra from satellite images because there was cloud cover over many parts of the region.

However, satellite images over northern Riau, a southern province of Sumatra, showed no hot spots or smoke haze.

Associate Professor Matthias Roth, deputy head of the geography department at the National University of Singapore, cautioned that the haze could come back if the dry weather persists, along with winds from the west or the south-west, or if there are a large number of forest fires.

'However, we should soon enter a period with variable winds, during the transition from the south-west monsoon to the north-east monsoon cycle,' he said. 'So the likelihood of the haze returning will also reduce with time.'

Assistant Professor Koh Tieh Yong of Nanyang Technological University's School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences said there was a small risk of the haze coming back.

While it is the end of the burning season in Indonesia, it has also been drier than expected over the last 20 days and would continue to stay dry over the next 10 days, he said.

'Fires could still start accidentally, if someone throws a lighted cigarette butt, for example,' said Prof Koh, who specialises in atmospheric science.

Singaporeans can breathe easier, with PSI in good range
Wayne Chan Channel NewsAsia 25 Oct 10;

SINGAPORE : Singaporeans can breathe easier, with the haze gone and the PSI staying in the good range on Monday.

Showers over the past two days have cleared the skies.

The 3-hour PSI reading stood at 32 at 9pm. It had dropped to 13 at 7 in the morning.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said Singapore is unlikely to be affected by the haze over the next three days.

The region is expected to get progressively wetter, with an increase in shower activities over the week, the NEA added.

This should reduce the hotspots and improve the air quality.

- CNA/al


Haze-free days likely for Singapore
wayne chan Today Online 26 Oct 10;
SINGAPORE - The Republic is unlikely to be affected by the haze over the next three days, said the National Environment Agency (NEA).

The region is also expected to get progressively wetter, with an increase in shower activities over the week. This should improve the hotspot and haze situation, it added.

Yesterday, Singaporeans breathed easier, with the haze gone and the PSI continuing to stay in the good range. Showers over the past two days helped clear the skies.

The three-hour PSI reading was 31 at 6pm yesterday. It had dropped to 13 at 7am.

The NEA said the exact number of hotspots in Sumatra could not be determined from satellite images due to cloud cover over many parts of Sumatra.

However, the latest satellite image yesterday of northern Riau was relatively cloud-free and no hotspots or smoke haze were detected there, the NEA said. WAYNE CHAN