NEA closely monitoring air quality as PSI nears unhealthy range in central Singapore
Rhea Yasmine and Shabana Begum
The Straits Times
Aug 24, 2026
Efforts have intensified to raise awareness of the increased risk of haze and guide the public on measures they can take to safeguard their health, said Singapore’s Haze Task Force on Aug 24, as air quality inched towards unhealthy levels.
Doctors have been reminded to advise vulnerable people, including the elderly, pregnant women, children and those with lung or heart disease, to take precautionary measures when planning activities during this period, the inter-agency task force told The Straits Times.
In schools, teachers will conduct visual checks on students’ well-being, especially those with pre-existing lung or heart conditions. For those who are unwell, parents will be alerted to take their children to the doctor.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) is monitoring air quality in Singapore, as the 24-hour PSI in the central part of the island nears the unhealthy range.
At 1pm on Aug 24, the PSI was between 68 and 90, within the moderate range, with the highest reading of 90 recorded in central Singapore.
It later rose to between 68 and 91 at 2pm, before creeping up to 98 at 9pm. Air quality is considered unhealthy when the PSI is between 101 and 200.
At 3pm, the one-hour PM2.5 – the average concentration of PM2.5 measured in the air over the past hour – ranged from 37ug/m3 to 59ug/m3, within the normal and elevated range. Readings are considered high when they fall between 151ug/m3 and 250ug/m3.
In a Facebook post on Aug 24, NEA said it observed an escalation in hot spots and smoke haze activity over the weekend, with hot spots and dense smoke plumes detected mainly in Kalimantan and southern Sumatra.
Some smoke plumes were also observed in Riau, it said, adding that dry conditions are expected to persist during the week.
People should also refer to the one-hour PM2.5 levels when planning immediate outdoor activities.
Haze advisories have been sent out to workplaces to ensure workers’ safety and health are protected. These include properly assessing risks, putting measures in place and specifying when to restrict work, said the task force.
The Ministry of Health has issued a circular to all medical practitioners to update them on the weather and haze outlook and remind them of the appropriate management of patients with chronic conditions like asthma and lung disease during this period.
The task force, which comprises 28 public agencies, said it would continue to closely monitor the haze situation and issue necessary advisories to the public if the air quality deteriorates. Measures and action plans are tiered based on the intensity of the haze.
“With prevailing winds blowing from the south or south-east, there could be occasional periods of haze affecting Singapore,” said NEA.
It said it is closely monitoring the overall air quality and will provide the necessary advisory should air quality worsen.
NEA advised the public to check its website, the haze microsite and myENV app for real-time information on air quality.
While the haze situation is not likely to be as severe as the 2015 episode – when air quality reached hazardous levels – there could still be periods of haze due to fires, especially during prolonged dry periods, added the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS).
“The El Nino event is likely to strengthen further, which could increase the risk of dry conditions. The severity and duration of haze episodes will depend on how the ground situation subsequently develops and the extent of fires,” explained MSS.
To date, the total number of hot spots over Sumatra and Kalimantan is also lower than in 2015.
Based on wind direction, smoke plumes from southern Sumatra and the southern parts of Kalimantan could be carried towards Singapore if the fires intensify.
When the winds shift and blow from the south-west, there will be the risk of smoke plumes from central Sumatra, if there are fires there, added MSS.
The PSI last reached unhealthy levels over a weekend in October 2023, caused by haze.
In a statement on Aug 9, NEA said reducing outdoor activities and physical exertion, and drinking water to stay hydrated, can reduce ill effects from haze exposure.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto ordered over the weekend a rapid response to the escalating land fires in Kalimantan.
The fires have affected an estimated 38,310ha in West Kalimantan, 7,634ha in Central Kalimantan and 8,620ha in South Kalimantan, according to Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency.
In Malaysia, asthma cases rose by 259 per cent in the latest epidemiological week, with upper respiratory tract infection cases rising by 124 per cent. Several schools in Sarawak were also ordered to close last week due to the haze.
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