Singapore haze: PM2.5 readings climb into high band in four regions — SkimNews
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- Singapore's western region recorded the highest 1-hour PM2.5 reading of 243 μg/m³ at 2pm on Saturday, with central (179), south (162) and east (159) also entering the high band of 151–250 μg/m³; only the west had been in the high band at 11am.
- The 24-hour PSI ranged from 135 to 185 at 2pm Saturday, down from Friday's peak of 229, which had entered the very unhealthy range and was the highest reading of the year.
- NEA warned that dry conditions in the southern ASEAN region would sustain a severe transboundary haze risk, with scattered hotspots detected in Kalimantan and southern Sumatra and moderate to dense smoke haze blanketing Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Kalimantan, Sumatra and western Sarawak.
- Several outdoor events were cancelled or postponed due to the haze, including Saturday's FA Cup football final and third-place play-off, the Nov 1 Great Eastern Women's Run, and The Purple Parade, which was pushed to the first half of 2027.
- The Ministry of Health advised the public to use 1-hour PM2.5 readings rather than the 24-hour PSI when deciding on masks, and recommended that vulnerable groups — elderly, pregnant women, and those with chronic heart or lung conditions — avoid outdoor activity whenever readings fall in the high band.
- All ActiveSG sports facilities resumed operations on Saturday after haze-related closures the day before, though NEA cautioned that spikes in PSI and PM2.5 readings could still recur amid prolonged dry weather in fire-prone areas.
Why it matters: Singapore's western region hit a 1-hour PM2.5 of 243 μg/m³ on Saturday — nearly 10 times the WHO annual guideline — forcing the cancellation of the FA Cup final and pushing The Purple Parade all the way to 2027, while NEA flagged that dry conditions across Indonesia's Kalimantan and Sumatra will keep feeding the haze for days.
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