Air quality across Singapore remained in the unhealthy range on Saturday morning, Oct 10, 2026, with the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index reading 176 in central Singapore, 162 in the west, 157 in the east, 141 in the south, and 125 in the north. While overnight readings eased, they followed a peak on Friday when the central region registered a 24-hour PSI of 192 at 5pm, marking the highest reading of this year’s haze season.
Regional PSI and PM2.5 Readings Across Singapore
The 1-hour PM2.5 readings sat in the elevated band across Singapore at 7am on Saturday, ranging from 69 in the north to 124 in the central region. The south recorded 89, while the west and east registered 104 and 112 respectively. These readings fluctuated overnight but stayed below the high band across all five regions.
Friday’s peak figures brought air quality close to the 200 threshold. Swiss air quality monitor IQAir placed Singapore at the top of its list of most polluted cities globally on Friday morning, recording an air quality index of 216. Meanwhile, data from the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre showed 314 hotspots in Sumatra and 162 hotspots in Kalimantan on Oct 8.
Did You Know?
Singapore’s National Environment Agency noted that moderate to dense smoke plumes from southern and central Sumatra and West Kalimantan drifted toward the city-state under prevailing southeasterly or southerly winds. Similar haze episodes affected the Formula 1 night race in 2015 and 2019.
Health Advisories and Task Force Contingency Plans
Singapore’s Haze Task Force, which brings together 28 government agencies, has convened to prepare a series of measures if air quality worsens further. If the 24-hour PSI exceeds 200 and enters the Very Unhealthy range, N95 masks will be distributed to eligible residents, and air-conditioned haze shelters will open at community clubs as well as selected residents’ committee and network centres.
Under current unhealthy conditions, the National Environment Agency advises healthy individuals to reduce prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion. Vulnerable groups, including the elderly, pregnant women, children, and people with chronic lung or heart disease, are advised to minimize or avoid such activities entirely.
Expert Insight:
The convergence of annual agricultural burning in neighboring Indonesia with a developing “super” El Niño climate pattern underscores the regional nature of transboundary haze. As officials monitor wind patterns and particle concentrations, public health measures rely heavily on real-time PM2.5 monitoring to guide immediate outdoor activity restrictions while broader task force protocols remain on standby.
Race organizers maintain contingency plans as drivers downplay concerns
The haze arrived as the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix weekend continued at Marina Bay, featuring Singapore’s first-ever sprint race on Saturday. Race organizer Singapore GP told CNN that action plans are in place based on haze intensity, and the motorsport’s governing FIA stated that outdoor entertainment events could potentially be affected while the race itself proceeds. Drivers including Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton downplayed immediate concerns, with Hamilton telling Reuters he had much bigger issues to focus on.
Should conditions deteriorate further, preschools must halt outdoor and strenuous indoor activities, and employers are advised to limit outdoor work. Schools may face closure if the next day’s 24-hour PSI forecast exceeds 300 and enters the Hazardous range, with announcements scheduled alongside evening haze updates.
Sumatra fires drive Singapore haze while school closures hinge on PSI forecasts
What caused the current haze in Singapore?
The haze is caused by smoke plumes from fires in southern and central Sumatra and West Kalimantan in Indonesia, which are blown toward Singapore by prevailing southeasterly or southerly winds during the dry season.
What are the threshold levels for school closures?
According to the Ministry of Education, authorities will consider closing schools if the next day’s 24-hour PSI forecast exceeds 300, which places air quality in the hazardous range.
What measures will be implemented if the PSI exceeds 200?
If the 24-hour PSI exceeds 200 and enters the very unhealthy range, N95 masks will be distributed to eligible Singaporeans, and air-conditioned haze shelters will be opened at community clubs and selected residents’ committee centres.
How are you adjusting your outdoor plans and daily routine while the unhealthy haze persists across the island?
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