October 08, 2023, 10:06 AM
The haze conditions have worsened in the past few days as the number of hotspots in Indonesia increased and the prevailing wind carried the smoke from forest fires over to Singapore.
Air quality in eastern and central Singapore dropped to "unhealthy" levels on Saturday (Oct. 7).
Enough stock for N95 masks
When asked about the availability of masks in Singapore, should the haze situation worsen, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu told CNA that Singapore has sufficient stocks and will acquire more masks if necessary.
"We have been planning for that. I believe that we have sufficient stock for us. But of course, it's always important to remember that we're dealing with uncertain weather conditions." Fu told CNA.
According to the Ministry of Health, N95 masks are not needed in indoor environments, and not needed for short exposure when outdoors, like commuting from home to school or work, or travelling from the bus stop to the shopping mall.
The ministry adds that in general, a healthy individual who has to be outdoors for several hours may wear a N95 mask to reduce exposure when the forecasted air quality is in the "hazardous" range (PSI >300), although the first line of action to avoid haze exposure would be to limit time spent outdoors.
Elderly, pregnant women and people with severe lung or heart problems who have difficulty breathing at rest or on exertion should consult their doctor as to whether they should use the N95 mask, as N95 masks can cause discomfort due to an increased effort required to breathe through the mask.
Singapore is prepared
Singapore is prepared for possible haze situations this year, especially with the arrival of El Niño.
El Niño is a natural climate phenomenon that happens once every two to seven years. In years with El Niño, the region is expected to be hotter and the dry season can last till October.
Drier and warmer conditions are conducive to the development of peatland and vegetation fires, and therefore hotspots can increase and result in a higher risk of transboundary haze.
The government Inter-Agency Haze Task Force (HTF) has been co-ordinating action plans in preparation for possible haze, the Meteorological Service Singapore said in a media release on May 30, 2023.
On Oct. 7 morning, the HTF led by the National Environment Agency (NEA) convened and relevant agencies have rolled out respective action plans and advisories to protect the health and well-being of members of the public.
NEA has since started providing daily haze advisories from Oct. 7 evening, which includes the 24-hour PSI forecast for the next 24 hours so that people can plan their activities ahead.
“We need to be vigilant and expect this condition to be intermittent and come and go, or if it's more serious, it may be with us for a while,” Fu said.
Hazy situation to persist on Oct. 8
According to the NEA's Oct. 7 forecast, the hazy situation will persist for the next 24 hours.
The 24-hr PSI for Singapore is expected to be in the high end of the "moderate" range to low end of the "unhealthy" range.
Some showers and a favourable change in wind direction can be expected towards Monday, which may lead to some improvement in the haze situation.
Image from NEA.
Top photo by Temasek Foundation and via Grace Fu/Facebook
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