Today Online 8 Oct 14;
SINGAPORE — Air quality entered the unhealthy range this evening (Oct 8), with the three-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) level registering 107 at 9pm (Oct 8).
The PSI levels remained in the higher end of the moderate range for most of the day, with the three-hour PSI gradually increasing from 68 at 1am to 78 at 7am. At 8am, the reading fell slightly to 77 and continued to do so until 12pm where it registered 71. From 1pm onwards, the reading crept up to 74 and chartered a gradual increase, eventually hitting the unhealthy range at 6pm with 102.
A PSI reading of 101 to 200 falls within the unhealthy range, while a 51 to 100 reading is considered moderate.
The 24-hour PSI readings at 7pm stood at at 75-85 and has remained in the moderate range so far today.
The three-hour PSI reading on Monday registered a high of 153, the highest in recent weeks. The PSI levels returned to the moderate range later on yesterday and most of today before creeping into the unhealthy range again in the evening.
The National Environment Agency's (NEA) daily haze situation update at 6pm today highlighted that the hazy conditions are “due to smoke haze blown in from southern Sumatra by the prevailing southerly winds” and is “expected to persist tonight”.
The NEA also noted that widespread smoke haze was visible in parts of Kalimantan and Sumatra. "The total number of hotspots detected in Sumatra and Kalimantan today was 110 and 58 respectively. The low hotspot count for Kalimantan was due to partial satellite coverage and cloud cover," the statement said.
The NEA forecast that the hazy conditions are expected to continue for the next 24 hours with PSI levels hovering in the high-end of the moderate range and low-end of the unhealthy range.
The NEA advised that given the air quality forecast for tomorrow, healthy people should reduce prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion. The elderly, pregnant women and children should minimise prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion, while those with chronic lung or heart disease should avoid prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion. People who are not feeling well, especially the elderly and children, and those with chronic heart or lung conditions, should seek medical attention.
