SINGAPORE - While Singapore could get a respite from the haze during the rainy season in November and December, the haze risk will remain for some time, said Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu.
Stressing that Singaporeans should not let their guard down, Ms Fu explained that the El Nino conditions that the nation is experiencing could extend beyond a few months. El Nino, which brings about hot and dry weather, increases the risk of haze during dry seasons as it could exacerbate fires.
“So yes, we are talking about something that’s going to last for months,” Ms Fu told The Straits Times.
The last three years have seen an unusual run of La Nina events – which has led to prolonged wet weather in the region, sparing Singapore from major fire or haze events.
While the weather is “never so predictable”, the cooler, wetter phase of La Nina lasted for three years, and so the El Nino phase could “extend beyond a few months”, Ms Fu noted.
In Singapore, air quality hit the unhealthy range last Saturday for the first time since 2019.
A major source of the haze comes from the burning of peatlands in Indonesia, which become extremely flammable when they are dried out for agriculture.
Coupled with the climate phenomenon El Nino, smoke from the burning peatlands could accumulate in the air.
Depending on wind speed and direction, these smoke plumes could affect the air quality of neighbouring countries like Singapore.
The 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) readings on Saturday ranged between 67 and 123 at 9pm, with the highest reading recorded in the east of Singapore.
A PSI reading of 101 to 200 is in the unhealthy range, for which the National Environment Agency (NEA) advises the public to cut down on outdoor activities.
Last Friday, 212 hot spots were detected in Sumatra, with satellite imagery showing smoke plumes and haze over the south and central parts of the Indonesian island.
A change in wind direction on Friday afternoon caused air quality to worsen as some of the lighter haze blew towards Singapore.
The haze situation improved on Sunday, with PSI readings ranging from 57 to 86, putting the air quality in the moderate range.
Since Monday, the air quality has remained in the moderate range, with wetter conditions in Singapore and the surrounding region.
The head of the meteorology, climatology and geophysics agency in Indonesia’s Riau province, Mr Ramlan, who goes by one name, said the wind direction trend above Indonesia is currently dominated by the easterly wind, or the winds blowing from Australia (to the West or Asia).
“We will typically have the westerly wind between November and March,” he added.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event in her constituency on Saturday, Ms Fu gave the assurance that Singapore has sufficient stocks of N95 masks for use if the haze worsens, and that the Republic will purchase more if necessary.
There will be stepped-up haze advisories depending on the situation, including whether the public should wear masks, she added.
According to the interagency haze task force, N95 masks are not required for short exposure, such as when commuting from home to school or work.
“In general, a healthy individual who has to be outdoors for several hours may wear an N95 mask to reduce exposure when the forecast air quality is in the hazardous range (PSI>300),” said the task force.
Vulnerable people can wear an N95 mask if they have to be outdoors for several hours when the 24-hour PSI is above 200.
During the last El Nino event which lasted from 2015 to 2016, forest fires were exacerbated in South-east Asia, killing at least 100,000 people prematurely from smoke inhalation.
World Bank estimates found that the 2015 fires cost Indonesia US$16.1 billion in damage and economic loss.
- Additional reporting by Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja
