Hazy conditions continue, events cancelled as a result

Today Online 13 Sep 15;

SINGAPORE — Hazy conditions persisted this morning (Sept 13), with the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) entering 118-139, the low end of the unhealthy range, as at 9am. The 3-hour PSI was at 165.

In its haze update yesterday, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said that air quality is expected to enter the low end of the unhealthy range over the next 24 hours, with the 24-hour PSI possibly entering the mid to high sections of the unhealthy range if denser haze from Sumatra is blown in.

This morning’s Singtel-Singapore Cancer Society Race Against Cancer run was cancelled as PSI levels were still within the unhealthy range as at 9pm yesterday. Organisers of the running event said they made the decision “for the safety and health of runners, volunteers, staff and beneficiaries”.

Registered 15km and 10km runners can collect their finishers’ medal at the Singapore Cancer Society office instead.

A second event, the POSB PAssion Run For Kids, cancelled the 10km Adults' Competitive race and Kids' Run categories this morning citing the 3-hour PSI reading of 147 at 5am as the reason. However, the 3.5km Family Walk is still scheduled to proceed, provided the PSI level at 8am is below 150, according to a statement from organisers.

Participants of the competitive races can collect their medals at the carnival, which is still on, according to POSB. Alternatively, medals can be collected at a later date, with organisers announcing more details soon.

POSB said: "Like you, we are disappointed as we have been looking forward to the run. However, your health and safety are of utmost importance to us, and we seek your kind understanding."

Hazy conditions continue; air quality enters low end of unhealthy range
Today Online 12 Sep 15;

SINGAPORE — Hazy conditions continued today (Sept 12), with the air quality mostly in the moderate range. However, air quality is expected to enter the low end of the unhealthy range over the next 24 hours, with the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) possibly entering the mid to high sections of the unhealthy range if denser haze is blown in, said the National Environment Agency (NEA) in its 5pm update.

As at 11pm, the 24-hour PSI entered into the low end of the unhealthy range, standing at 90-107. The 3-hour PSI was at 106, dropping from 147 at 4pm.

Tomorrow morning's Singtel-Singapore Cancer Society Race Against Cancer run has been cancelled as today's PSI levels are still within the unhealthy range as at 9pm. Organisers of the running event said they have made the decision “for the safety and health of runners, volunteers, staff and beneficiaries”.

Registered 15km and 10km runners can collect their finishers’ medal at the Singapore Cancer Society office instead.

The haziness is due to haze from Sumatra being blown in, said the NEA.

The total number of hotspots detected in Sumatra yesterday was 304, and widespread moderate to dense haze was observed in central and southern Sumatra, with some haze spreading to the western parts of Peninsular Malaysia, said the NEA.

Healthy persons are advised to reduce prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion, while the elderly, preggant women and children should minimise prolonged or strenuous outdoor or physical exertion. Those with chronic lung or heart disease should avoid prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion. People not feeling well, especially the elderly and children, and those with chronic heart or lung conditions, should seek medical attention.

Haze causes tourism gloom in Singapore
Melanie Heng, Seow Yun Rong, Siti Nur Aisha Omar, The New Paper AsiaOne 13 Sep 15;

The reputation of sunny Singapore as a tourist destination is taking a beating with the gloom brought on by the haze.

Take Indian national Ramya Sivaramakrishnan whose four-day break in Singapore has been ruined by the smog.

The New Paper team spotted her pushing a pram with her crying, sick daughter at Gardens by the Bay.

The toddler was coughing and having trouble breathing due to the haze.

"It's so disturbing. Not only do my eyes and throat feel irritated, but for the past three days here, I couldn't take my daughter to Sentosa," said Madam Ramya, 33, who is here with her daughter, husband and mother.

The Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) level yesterday reached a new high this year of 211 - very unhealthy range - at midnight.

The TNP team visited Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, Orchard Road and Singapore Botanic Gardens to talk to those affected by the haze.

Across from Marina Bay Sands, Swiss national Andrew Tritz, who is on a 12-day stay in Singapore, was clearly frustrated with his inability to snap clear scenic shots of the iconic Singapore skyline.

The 25-year-old said that it was only his second day here and the haze was already a problem.

But even if the haze worsens, he said he would continue going to outdoor places just to make the trip worthwhile.

Mr Julian Veber, 21, a tourist from Luxembourg, said that the haze had hit his father hard.

His 55-year-old father, who has lung problems, experienced breathing difficulties that caused him to walk slower even in indoor areas like The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands where they were spotted.

It also stopped them from outdoor activities such as going to Universal Studios Singapore on Sentosa.

An Indonesian visitor who wanted to be known only as Madam Theodora, 54, an accountant , said her flight from Jakarta to Singapore was delayed for 25 minutes on Tuesday because of the haze.

She added that the haze was rather bad here but was unprepared when she landed as she did not have a mask with her.

She said: "The people who are causing the haze are troublemakers, now others are suffering because of them."

Despite the hazy view across Marina Bay Sands, two local students braved the conditions to perfect their paintings of the Singapore skyline.

Miss Jolene Quek, 20, a second-year engineering student from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), and Miss Clara Soh, 20, a second-year occupational therapy student from Nanyang Polytechnic, sat on the ground outside Marina Bay Sands for more than two hours, sketching and painting a clear Singapore Skyline - a far cry from the hazy conditions.

As Miss Quek looked at her painting, she said: "We shouldn't let the haze affect our lives".

Dampener

The haze has put a dampener on businesses, big and small.

Ms Irene Lim, a 50-year-old helper at an ice-cream stall on Orchard Road, noticed that there were fewer customers patronising the stall due to the haze.

As people streamed into indoor areas, open-air diners and businesses saw a decrease in customers.

Miss Nicole Robert, 21, an employee of South Coast, an Australian bistro and bar at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, said that there was a 20 per cent drop in customers during the peak lunch hours yesterday.

Some sports events were also affected.

Ultimate frisbee player Matthew Seong, 22, a second-year engineering student in SUTD, said the Singapore University Games initiated by the Singapore University Sports Council had to be cancelled.

The Great Eastern-Yeo's S.League match between title rivals Albirex Niigata and Tampines Rovers was also called off.

The game was scheduled to kick off at 7.30pm at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

It was initially delayed but the three-hour PSI reading yesterday steadily rose from 160 at 6pm to 193 at 9pm.

The game was called off at 9.08pm.

Hazy conditions to persist on Saturday: NEA
In an advisory, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said the haziness throughout the day was due to the haze from Sumatra being blown in by the prevailing winds.
Channel NewsAsia 12 Sep 15;

SINGAPORE: Hazy conditions are expected to persist on Saturday (Sep 12), with the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) at the high end of the Moderate range.

As of 11pm, the 24-hour PSI was 90-107, while the corresponding 3-hour PSI was at 106.

In an advisory, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said the haziness throughout the day was due to the haze from Sumatra being blown in by the prevailing winds. Even though there were only 53 hotspots detected in Sumatra on Saturday, NEA attributed the low hotspot count due to cloud cover.

"Widespread moderate to dense haze was observed in central and southern Sumatra. Haze was also observed to have spread to parts of the western Peninsular Malaysia," added NEA.

Hazy conditions are also expected on Sunday.

"The 24-hr PSI for the next 24 hours is expected to be in the low end of the Unhealthy range but may enter into the mid to high sections of the Unhealthy range if denser haze is blown in," said NEA.

The air quality in Singapore was in the Unhealthy range throughout Friday (Sep 11). A total of 304 hot spots were detected in Sumatra, Indonesia, on Friday, down from 328 on Thursday.

“Singapore may experience occasional hazy conditions during the day” on Saturday, said the NEA. The 24-hour PSI is expected to be in the “low end of the Unhealthy range, with the possibility of entering the high end of the Moderate range if winds remain favourable”, the agency added.

The air quality in Singapore reached unhealthy levels on Thursday, with the 3-hour PSI peaking at the year’s highest of 248 at 3am on Friday.

Indonesia on Thursday accepted Singapore's offer of help in fighting the forest fires that are causing hazy skies in the Republic and Malaysia, said Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen.

- CNA/wl

Thick haze hits Sumatra, but Singapore gets respite
Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, Straits Times AsiaOne 12 Sep 15;

Singapore got a respite from the haze yesterday, as wind directions changed, but tens of thousands of Indonesians in Sumatra and Kalimantan continued to face hazardous levels of air pollution caused by raging forest fires.

The air pollutant index in Riau and other provinces affected by thick haze - which also include Jambi, Central Kalimantan and South Kalimantan - was mostly between unhealthy and hazardous levels yesterday. A reading above 300 is considered hazardous. Thick haze also blanketed the Malaysian capital yesterday.

Meanwhile, Indonesia has accepted an offer from Singapore to help combat the raging forest fires, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said yesterday.

Tens of thousands of Indonesians have been treated for respiratory illnesses caused by smoke from hundreds of forest and land fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan, with dry weather set to last for several more days, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said yesterday. Across many areas, schools have been shut and flights delayed.

Nearly 15,000 residents in Riau province in Sumatra, near Singapore, suffer from upper respiratory infections. Also affected are 22,855 residents in South Sumatra and about 40,000 in South Kalimantan, said a BNPB statement yesterday.

Nearly all five provinces in Kalimantan were shrouded in smoke, said BNPB spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho. Kalimantan had 1,312 hot spots, of which 508 were in the worst-affected West Kalimantan province, as of 5am Jakarta time yesterday, satellite imagery showed.

Kalimantan is suffering its worst haze this year, in terms of the area shrouded in haze. Sumatra listed 575 hot spots, of which 78 per cent were in South Sumatra province.

POSB PAssion Run for Kids cancelled due to haze
The 3.5km Family Walk is still scheduled to proceed, provided the PSI level at 8am is below 150, organisers say.
Channel NewsAsia 13 Sep 15;

SINGAPORE: The worsening air quality in Singapore has resulted in another outdoor event being cancelled, as organisers of the POSB PAssion Run For Kids pulled the 10km Adults' Competitive race and Kids' Run categories from its lineup on Sunday morning (Sep 13).

POSB issued the notice at 5.04am, citing the 3-hour PSI at 147 as the reason for cancelling the events. It did say the 3.5km Family Walk is still scheduled to proceed, provided the PSI level at 8am is below 150.

For the participants of the competitive races, they may collect their medals at the carnival. Alternatively, they can collect the medals at a later date and organisers will announce more details "shortly", it added.

"Like you, we are disappointed as we have been looking forward to the run. However, your health and safety are of utmost importance to us, and we seek your kind understanding," POSB said, adding that the carnival is still on.

Culture, Community and Youth Minister Lawrence Wong will be at the event to launch a SG50 commmemorative book that envisions what the country will be like in the next 50 years, the organisers said.

This cancellation follows in the heels of another event that was cancelled due to the haze. The Singtel - Singapore Cancer Society (SCS) Race Against Cancer was called off on Saturday due to the worsening air quality here.

- CNA/kk

Race Against Cancer 2015 cancelled due to haze
“In light of the poor air quality, and for the safety and health of runners, volunteers, staff and beneficiaries, Singtel, the title sponsor, and Singapore Cancer Society have decided to cancel the race,” said organisers.
Channel NewsAsia 12 Sep 15;

SINGAPORE: The Singtel - Singapore Cancer Society (SCS) Race Against Cancer has been cancelled due to haze.

“In light of the poor air quality, and for the safety and health of runners, volunteers, staff and beneficiaries, Singtel, the title sponsor, and Singapore Cancer Society have decided to cancel the race,” said organisers in an announcement on Saturday night (Sep 12).

The race was scheduled to happen on Sunday at 7am, but as of 9pm, the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) levels continued to remain within the unhealthy range, said SCS.

Organisers added that they would not be able to provide a refund.

"We are unable to provide refunds for your registration fee due to set up costs that have already been incurred," they wrote in an FAQ post on their Facebook page. "We sincerely appeal to you to regard your registration fee as a donation to SCS, to support our programmes and services in Minimising Cancer and Maximising Life."

The FAQ also explained why they would not be able to postpone the event.

"We are unable to postpone this event to a later date as the costs incurred in doing so will lead to an additional expense, which would cause a breach in fundraising regulations that have been set for voluntary welfare organisations," organisers wrote. "This will also impact the funds that we have set aside for our programmes and services.

"In addition, a postponement to any possible later date this year would be affected by poor weather during the monsoon season as well as the exam and holiday periods."

Registered 15-kilometre and 10-kilometre runners who wish to collect their finishers’ medals from SCS can do so at their office from Sep 14 to 30, Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm. They just need to bring their Race Bib upon collection.

The office is at 15 Enggor Street, Realty Centre, #04-01, Singapore 079716.

SAFRA RUN AND YELLOW RIBBON RUN WATCHING PSI FIGURES

Separately, the SAFRA Celebration Run & Ride and the Yellow Ribbon Prison Run will also be happening on Sunday.

Both race organisers have said that they will closely monitor the PSI figures and inform racers on Sunday at 5am of any change in plans.

SAFRA wrote on their Facebook page at 5.30pm on Saturday that they would send an SMS notification to participants if the 5km and 1.5km runs would continue to take place.

Meanwhile, the Yellow Ribbon Project Singapore said they would watch the 24-hour PSI and 3-hour PSI readings at 5am on Sunday, and if they exceeded 100, "both the 10km competitive run and 6km fun run will be cancelled and a 6km walk will be available for all participants".

"If PSI reading exceeds 200, both the 10km competitive run and 6km run will be cancelled and buses will proceed to the carnival site which has many exciting activities for everyone to enjoy," they added.

The Yellow Ribbon Project Singapore will also be sending an SMS notification at 5am, along with updates on their social media, website and mobile app.

- CNA/ek

Haze disrupts race organisers' plans
Samantha Boh, Straits Times AsiaOne 13 Sep 15;

The financial district was shrouded in haze yesterday afternoon. The 24-hour PSI was within the moderate range of 51 to 100 for most of yesterday before creeping into unhealthy levels in the evening.

The haze could get worse in Singapore today as winds from the south and south-west continue to blow in smoke from Sumatra. This has prompted organisers of several races today to consider whether they should go on.

The Singapore Cancer Society decided to cancel this morning's Race Against Cancer just after 9pm last night. Fees for the annual fund-raising run were between $29 and $59, and a spokesman confirmed to The Sunday Times that no refunds will be given due to set-up costs that were already incurred.

The society posted on its website that it was calling off the run "for the safety and health of runners, volunteers, staff and beneficiaries".

Participants for today's Yellow Ribbon Prison Run were told to wait till 5am - an hour before it is set to start - before a decision would be taken. It is organised by the Yellow Ribbon Project, which aims to help former prisoners rejoin society. On its website, POSB also said it would make a decision on its Passion Run for Kids depending on the three-hour PSI reading at 5am.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said last night that the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) is expected to be at the low end of the 101 to 200 unhealthy range. This may climb into the mid to high sections if denser haze is blown in by unfavourable winds.

The 24-hour PSI was within the moderate range of 51 to 100 for most of yesterday before creeping into unhealthy levels in the evening. By 11pm, the readings were between 90 and 107.

The three-hour PSI reading climbed to 147 at 4pm.

Yesterday saw a drop in the number of hot spots detected in Sumatra from 304 to 53. But NEA noted the low count was due to cloud cover over some areas.

The elderly, pregnant women and children are advised to minimise prolonged or strenuous outdoor activity when the 24-hour PSI exceeds 100. Those suffering from chronic lung or heart disease should also avoid such activities.

- See more at: http://news.asiaone.com/news/singapore/haze-disrupts-race-organisers-plans#sthash.VXHO1ao8.dpuf