Haze in S'pore due to particulate matter, expected to improve soon

Hazy conditions in Singapore were caused by the accumulation of particulate matter under light wind conditions, said the National Environment Agency (NEA).

But the situation is expected to improve in the afternoon as winds strengthen.

As of 10am on Mar. 26, the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) registered "moderate" air quality.

Central Singapore registered the worst air quality with a PSI of 76, followed by the East with 70.

North Singapore had the cleanest air, with a PSI of 62.

Dense smoke

There has been an escalation in the hotspot and smoke haze situation in the Mekong area, according to NEA.

Moderate to dense smoke haze was observed over parts of Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

Many air quality stations in the northern, eastern, and central parts of the Mekong subregion also reported "very unhealthy" levels.

In the next few days, the hotspot and smoke haze situation may escalate over drier areas in the region.

But there was no clear indication of smoke plumes drifting from the Mekong sub-region to Singapore, based on satellite observation.

The overall haze situation is forecast to remain relatively subdued, tamped down by expected wet weather in the region.

Top image by Priscilla Charlotte