Prevailing winds may bring haze to Singapore, but 24-hour PSI remains normal: NEA

Hazy conditions were reported on Jan 24. The NEA has since said the 24-hr PSI reading on Jan 27 remains in the good to moderate range.SINGAPORE – The 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) remains in the good to moderate range, but prevailing winds may cause hazy conditions in Singapore, said the National Environment Agency (NEA).In a Facebook post on Jan 27, the NEA said that it could not detect hot spots because of dense cloud cover obstructing satellite views north of Singapore.“However, with dry weather ahead, prevailing winds from the north and north-east could transport smoke haze from any persistent fires toward Singapore,” it added.The 24-hour PSI readings in Singapore at around 7.30pm ranged from 39 in the northern region to 60 in the east, according to the NEA website.Air quality is defined as good when the PSI value is between zero and 50, and moderate when the value is between 51 and 100.The one-hour PM2.5 levels across Singapore were also normal, with the highest reading of 23 in the southern part of the island.Air quality is deemed normal if the PM2.5 reading is in the zero to 55 range, and elevated if the PM2.5 level of between 56 and 150.The public can check for the latest air quality updates on the myENV mobile app, NEA said in the Facebook post.On Jan 26, the agency said that hot spots were observed in Peninsular Malaysia, due to vegetation fires.NEA had earlier said on Jan 24 it had detected “a hot spot and smoke plume in Johor that is near to Singapore” after some residents reported a faint burning smell.A peatland fire in Kota Tinggi in the south of Malaysia was reported to have spread from 5ha to 12ha on Jan 26, forcing 124 people to evacuate to two temporary relief centres.Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproductionDiscover how to enjoy other premium articles here