Haze in Singapore due to Sumatra fires: NEA

Channel NewsAsia 20 Aug 13;

SINGAPORE: The skies over Singapore were slightly hazy on Tuesday.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said the haziness was due to smoke from fires in southern Sumatra, brought over by the southwesterly winds overnight.

At 1pm, the 3-hour PSI hit the moderate range of 55, edging up to 56 at 2pm and 3pm before coming down to the good range.

At 7pm, the 3-hour PSI stood at 27.

The PSI reading in Singapore hit a record high of 401 on 21 June this year as a result of smog from forest fires in Indonesia.

However, the NEA website indicated the number of hotspots in Sumatra decreased from 82 on Monday to 29 on Tuesday.

"However, due to extensive cloud cover in the central and northern regions of Sumatra, we cannot be certain of the exact situation. Nevertheless, recent showers over central and southern Sumatra would have helped to further subdue the hotspot activities there," said NEA.

It added that over the next few days, Singapore may experience slightly hazy conditions in the morning due to the accumulation of particulate matter under light wind conditions.

"The 24-hour PSI for the next 24 hours is expected to be in the higher end of the 'good' band (that is ≤50). The 24-hour PM2.5 is expected to be slightly elevated," said NEA. "All persons can continue with normal activities."

Thundery showers are forecast over Singapore in the late morning and early afternoon on Wednesday, it added.

- CNA/ir

Slight haze possible over next few days
Normal activities can continue, NEA will monitor situation and provide updates
Woo Sian Boon Today Online 21 Aug 13;

SINGAPORE — There could be “slightly hazy conditions” in the mornings over the next few days although air quality today is expected to remain in the “good” band, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said, after hazy skies yesterday morning prompted Singaporeans to wonder if the respite from the thick smog in June was over.

Social media platforms like Twitter were abuzz with the #sghaze hashtag yesterday after Singaporeans in many areas were reminded of the worst haze episode two months ago — the three-hourly Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) hit a record 401 on June 21 — when they woke up to a slight haze and a burning smell in the air.

Starting from 10am yesterday, the three-hour PSI readings crept up to hit the moderate range of 56 at 2pm, but dipped back to the good range from 5pm.

The NEA sent a media advisory at 2pm, saying south-westerly winds overnight had brought over the smoke from fires in southern Sumatra and the light and variable winds over Singapore had led to particulate matter accumulating in the atmosphere.

It added that the number of hot spots detected in Sumatra yesterday was 29, compared to 82 and 199 on Monday and Sunday respectively, but noted that it “cannot be certain of the exact situation” due to extensive cloud cover in central and northern Sumatra.

In its 24-hour PSI forecast yesterday, the NEA said air quality today is forecast to be in the higher end of the “good” band, while the PM2.5 reading is expected to be slightly elevated.

It added that low-level winds over Singapore are expected to blow from south-southeast or south-southwest over the next few days, possibly bringing about slightly hazy conditions in the mornings, but gave the assurance that normal activities for the general public can still continue.

Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan posted on his Facebook page to provide reassurance that the NEA will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates.

Last week, Foreign Minister K Shanmugam met his Malaysian and Indonesian counterparts on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers retreat in Thailand, where they renewed their commitment to fight the recurring haze.

A conclusion, however, was not reached regarding the sharing of official concession maps, with Indonesia and Malaysia citing risk-competitiveness and legal issues if these are made public.

Expect slightly hazy mornings over next few days
Melissa Lin Straits Times 21 Aug 13;

THE hazy skies that affected Singapore yesterday morning are expected to persist over the next few mornings, as southerly winds blow smoke here from forest fires in Indonesia.

The three-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) reading hit 56 at 2pm, the highest since the June 30 reading of 71. A PSI reading of zero to 50 is "good", while a reading above 50 up to 100 is "moderate". Anything above 100 is considered "unhealthy".

The latest spike is still relatively low compared with levels on June 21, when the reading peaked at 401 in the "hazardous" range.

But there was a buzz online yesterday as people posted photos on social media and voiced worries that the pollution was back.

Ms Geraldine Hor, a 24-year-old recruiting manager, said she could smell the haze from her 27th-storey office in Raffles Place. "There was a burnt smell in the morning," she said.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said Singapore may experience slightly hazy conditions in the mornings over the next few days, due to low-level winds blowing from the south.

Thundery showers forecast for late morning and early afternoon today are set to bring some relief. As of 4pm yesterday, the 24-hour PSI ranged from 30 to 37.

Professor Ong Choon Nam, director of the National University of Singapore's Environmental Research Institute, said it was hard to predict when the haze would return. "It depends on the wind direction, the number of fire spots over the past week and whether it will increase, and the rainfall in the region," he said.

The 24-hour PSI forecast that ends at 6pm today is expected to be in the higher end of the good band, or less than 50. The 24-hour PM2.5 reading, which measures fine particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in size, is expected to be slightly elevated, but normal activities can continue.

Meanwhile, the number of hot spots detected in Sumatra fell to 29 yesterday from 82 the day before. Recent showers over central and southern Sumatra will have helped to reduce the number of hot spots, said NEA.

In Riau, the Indonesian province closest to Singapore that is prone to forest fires, it has been raining almost every day for a week in the city of Dumai.

Despite the clearer skies, cloud seeding and water bombing will continue until October, Mr Agus Wibowo, data department head at the national disaster management agency BNPB, told The Straits Times. He added that it was normal for the number of hot spots to fluctuate, as farmers set fire to their land and those fires are then spread by the wind.

Additional reporting by Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja in Indonesia