Hazy conditions could hit Singapore in the coming weeks: Grace Fu

SINGAPORE – Hazy conditions could hit Singapore in the coming weeks as regional hot spot activity intensifies due to drier conditions and wind patterns, said Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu in Parliament on Feb 12.

“The Meteorological Service Singapore has assessed that

hot spot activity could increase in the coming weeks

over nearby areas due to wind patterns and drier conditions in the current dry phase of the north-east monsoon,” she said.

“This could result in hazy conditions affecting Singapore.”

Singapore is monitoring the situation closely and will be ready with N95 masks and indoor air purifiers for vulnerable groups if the situation worsens.

Parts of the Republic were already hit by hazy conditions in late January due to vegetation fires in Johor,

with some residents reporting a burning smell.

However, Singapore’s 24-hour PSI readings have remained in the good to moderate range in 2026, with a peak PSI reading of 69 on Feb 8, which was within the moderate range, said Ms Fu.

“Hence, at this stage, the haze has not reached such levels that would warrant investigation under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act,” she said, adding that the ministry will continue to monitor the ongoing haze situation closely.

She said cloud seeding for rain would not be effective, as any induced rain might not fall on Singapore due to variable wind patterns.

Ms Fu was responding to questions from Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC), Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar GRC) and Workers’ Party’s Mr Fadli Fawzi (Aljunied GRC) on the transboundary haze affecting Singapore.

She said that should the situation worsen, the Haze Task Force, led by the National Environment Agency (NEA) and comprising 28 government agencies, will implement measures to safeguard public health, particularly for vulnerable populations such as the elderly, pregnant women, children and people with chronic lung and heart diseases.

These measures include ensuring sufficient supply of N95 masks and deploying indoor air purifiers where vulnerable groups are likely to congregate, such as in schools and nursing homes.

Ms Fu also emphasised the importance of regional and bilateral cooperation to address transboundary haze, as well as Singapore’s commitment to it.

For example, the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre, based in Singapore, provides regular updates to ASEAN member states on the weather and haze situation, including hot spot information and early warnings to support their respective haze prevention and response efforts, she said.

Mr de Souza asked a supplementary question on how the Government is engaging “the people creating this air pollution to reciprocate the domestic efforts of Singaporeans... of our government agencies, such that on both sides, we do not emit pollution”.

In response, Ms Fu noted that the incidence of transboundary haze has reduced over the years due to countries’ improved domestic regulations, community management and regional cooperation. She added that Singapore supports the region by sharing information and capacity-building.

Meanwhile, Mr Fadli asked if any firms inside or outside Singapore are being investigated over the haze, and whether there has been any prosecution in the past 12 years under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act.

In response, Ms Fu said that no firms are being investigated over the current situation as the threshold has not been crossed for such action.

The last episode of haze in Singapore was in October 2023, when the PSI entered the unhealthy range for the first time since 2019. A PSI reading of 101 to 200 is in the unhealthy range, for which NEA advises the public to cut down on outdoor activities.

Despite haze incidents declining over the past few years, Ms Fu said: “We shouldn’t be complacent because we are dealing with changing weather patterns, and we expect climate change will bring about drier conditions and, at the same time, hotter temperatures, which make them good conditions for more potential wildfires.

“Climate change effect is being felt and we cannot rule out more wildfires contributing to haze conditions. Therefore, even as we try to manage upstream, we must also be prepared downstream to deal with hazy days when they arrive.”

Members of the public may stay updated through NEA’s website, the MyENV app and the dedicated haze microsite at haze.gov.sg