PSI reading climbs in Singapore but remains within moderate range

Leong Wai Kit Channel NewsAsia 14 Jun 13;

SINGAPORE: The haze has returned to Singapore. The PSI reading, which measures the haze, was at 54 at 7am in Singapore. It climbed to over 85 after 2pm. At 7pm, it dipped to 82.

Any reading above 100 is considered unhealthy.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said the haze and burning smell are from fires in Sumatra.

NEA said 85 hotspots were detected on 6 June 2013 over Sumatra in Indonesia.

Winds from the southwest or west during the current southwest monsoon season have also brought the haze to Singapore.

NEA said Singapore has been affected by slight haze since Thursday.

It expects the hazy conditions to continue for the next few days.

Some revellers along Singapore's East Coast Park seemed unaffected.

However, shop owners in the area said prolonged haze would affect their business.

One bike shop said it saw a 10 per cent drop in takings due to the haze.

Simon Tan, a bicycle shop employee, said: "Now it's the school holidays. Everybody will come out to enjoy at East Coast Park. And because of the haze, surely (business has been) affected, at least 10 per cent."

- CNA/xq

Haze is back, set to persist over next few days
Neo Chai Chin Today Online 15 Jun 13;

SINGAPORE — Expect smoggy skies over Singapore and the burning smell to linger in the air over the next few days. Posting an update on the situation after Singapore yesterday experienced its haziest skies since October 2010, the National Environment Agency said the haziness and burning smell were caused by fires on Indonesia’s Sumatra island, brought over by prevailing winds blowing from the southwest or western direction.

The three-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) reading hit 88 between 3pm and 5pm yesterday — the higher end of the moderate range — before it dipped to 82 at 7pm. A PSI reading below 50 is classified as “good”, higher than 50 is “moderate” and anything higher than 100 is “unhealthy”.

Yesterday’s 24-hour PSI reading ranged from 59 to 65 at 4pm, which is within the moderate range. The 24-hour PM2.5 – which measures the concentration of fine particulate matter - ranged from 40 to 49 microgrammes per cubic metre at 4pm. People with heart or lung disease, as well as children and older adults, are advised to reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion when PM2.5 levels are between 41 and 65 microgrammes per cubic metre.

The NEA said yesterday that a “slight haze” had hovered over the Republic since Thursday and southwest monsoon conditions have beset the region since the beginning of this week. Typically lasting from June to September, the southwest monsoon season is the traditional dry season for the southern part of Southeast Asia.

With occasional extended periods of drier weather expected in the region in the coming months, the NEA said increased hotspot activities may be expected in Sumatra and Borneo, with transboundary haze affecting the region during periods of persistent dry weather. It added that 22 hotspots were detected over Sumatra on Thursday, down from 85 detected last Thursday due to the presence of “more cloud cover”.

The last time air quality in Singapore entered the unhealthy range was on October 21, 2010 when the PSI reading hit 106. The issue of transboundary haze came up in April, this year during a meeting between Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Both leaders agreed to the renewal of a pact between Singapore and the provincial government in South Sumatra on sustainable farming practices, with Dr Yudhoyono saying he would encourage the governors of South Sumatra and Jambi to continue working with Singapore over the haze problem.

PSI hits 88 as fires in Sumatra bring haze
Walter Sim Straits Times 15 Jun 13;

THE haze is back - and it could be sticking around for Father's Day tomorrow.

The Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) was in the "moderate" range yesterday because of the forest fires in Sumatra.

The index hit 88 at 3pm, 4pm and 5pm yesterday - the highest levels so far this year. The reading was also the highest since 2010, when air quality breached "unhealthy" levels.

A PSI reading of zero to 50 is "good", while anything above 100 is considered "unhealthy".

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said it will continue to closely monitor the hazy conditions, which are "expected for the next few days".

The 24-hour daily average PSI taken at 4pm yesterday at different parts of the island ranged from 59 to 65.

The reading for another air quality scale called the PM2.5, which measures fine pollutants, was also higher in most parts of Singapore.

These tiny particles are more dangerous than larger specks of dust because they can enter the lungs or bloodstream more easily.

NEA advised those who are considered more vulnerable to curtail any prolonged or heavy exertion. They include people with lung or heart disease, children and the elderly.

The agency attributed the hazy conditions to south-westerly winds that carried smoke from central Sumatra, where forest fires have been raging.

Drier weather conditions have contributed to the problem as well, it said.

According to Meteorological Service Singapore, the number of forest fires spiked last Thursday, reaching 85. But the figure dipped to 46 yesterday, although the full extent could not be determined because of cloudy conditions.

Many Singaporeans yesterday complained about the hazy skies and the acrid burning smell in the air.

Undergraduate Willy Beh, 25, who lives in an apartment on the 40th floor at Teban Gardens, said: "On a normal day, I can see Pulau Bukom and the offshore islands, but today, it is just a blanket of grey."

The public can access PSI updates in various ways:

By visiting the NEA Weather page at weather.nea.gov.sg
Through the Twitter account @ NEAsg
By calling 1800-225-5632
By using the myEnv mobile application on smartphones


Haze returns to Singapore, rise in hotspot activities in Central Sumatra
New Straits Times 15 Jun 13;

SINGAPORE: Hazy conditions returned to Singapore with the three-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) reading standing at 85 at 6 pm today, which is at a moderate range.
According to Singapore's National Environment Agency’s (NEA’s), since 1 pm today, conditions had been hazy and members of the public had given feedback on a burning smell across many parts of Singapore.

In recent days, it said weather conditions in the region had become drier and an increase in hotspot activities had been observed mainly over central Sumatra. -- BERNAMA