Haze may reach hazardous PSI levels; mask vending machines to be fully deployed by Oct 16, says Grace Fu
“Depending on the weather, we can expect air quality to fluctuate, including the possibility of reaching hazardous levels,” says the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment.
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SINGAPORE: Singapore has warned for the first time this year that air quality could reach hazardous levels, as the haze worsened on Friday (Oct 16).
“Depending on the weather, we can expect air quality to fluctuate, including the possibility of reaching hazardous levels,” Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said at a press conference.
Stressing that the situation is fluid, she added that Singapore should be prepared for the haze to last for another three to four weeks.
That is when the government expects conditions to improve towards the inter-monsoon period at the end of October or early November, with lighter winds around Singapore then being less likely to bring haze from Sumatra or Kalimantan.
When the northeast monsoon brings winds from the north to northeast around early December, the haze will move away from Singapore, she said.
Air quality worsened across the country overnight, with the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) reaching the very unhealthy range in three regions on Friday.
Central Singapore was the first to cross into the band, at midnight. Its reading climbed to 227 at 9am, the highest recorded this year, before easing to 226 at 1pm.
MASK VENDING MACHINES TO BE FULLY DEPLOYED
Mask vending machines will be fully deployed by Friday night, Ms Fu said. About 10 per cent of eligible residents have collected their masks.
The distribution exercise began on Wednesday, with N95 masks progressively made available at designated collection points. Some locations saw long queues and confusion, while others faced temporary stock shortages.
“I want to assure everyone that there are sufficient stocks of masks available,” Ms Fu said during the press conference.
“We understand that sometimes, masks may be temporarily unavailable at some retail outlets because of increased demand, but we want to assure Singaporeans that there are sufficient stocks of masks in their retailers' warehouse and in the government stockpiles.”
Retailers are continuously replenishing their shelves, and the haze task force is working with them to keep masks available to the public, she said.
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CHECK BOTH PSI AND PM2.5 READINGS
Ms Fu urged people to check both the 24-hour PSI and 1-hour PM2.5 readings when planning outdoor activities, as the two indicators serve different purposes.
The 24-hour PSI provides a picture of air quality over a longer period and is useful for assessing sustained exposure, while the 1-hour PM2.5 reading reflects more immediate conditions, which can change quickly.
A low 24-hour PSI reading coupled with a high one-hour PM2.5 reading could indicate that air quality has recently worsened, even though the longer-term average has yet to rise, she explained.
This was what happened on Oct 14, when 1-hour PM2.5 readings spiked, particularly in western Singapore.
Ms Fu advised Singaporeans to refer to the 24-hour PSI forecast when planning activities for the following day, before checking the latest 1-hour PM2.5 readings in their area just before proceeding.
Citing the example of a group run, she said participants could go ahead with their plans if the forecast allowed for strenuous outdoor activity, but should check the 1-hour PM2.5 reading before setting off.
If air quality has deteriorated and PM2.5 readings have risen into a higher band, they should cancel the run, she said.
Ms Fu added that she has asked the National Environment Agency (NEA) to make the information clearer on its website and app to help Singaporeans plan their activities.
She also urged the public to consider the nature and duration of their activities, prevailing air quality and their own health conditions when deciding whether to proceed.
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