September 10, 2026 | 09:14 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Air quality in central Singapore returned to the unhealthy range on Thursday as haze from fires in parts of Indonesia continued to drift toward the city-state.The 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) in the central region reached 106 as of 9 a.m. on Thursday, up from 104 at 6 a.m., according to the National Environment Agency (NEA), as reported by CNA.The reading had stood at 102 at 11 p.m. on Wednesday, when air quality in some parts of Singapore entered the unhealthy range. Other regions remained in the moderate range.The NEA said moderate to dense smoke plumes continued to be detected from fires in southern and central Sumatra and Kalimantan, with some haze drifting toward Singapore.In its advisory on Wednesday, the agency said showers were expected over central and northern Sumatra in the coming days. However, dry conditions were forecast to persist in Kalimantan and southern Sumatra, increasing the risk of haze in Singapore if fires continue.The NEA forecast Singapore's 24-hour PSI to remain in the high-moderate to low-unhealthy range.Haze Returns to Unhealthy LevelSingapore's air quality first entered the unhealthy range this year on Sept. 4, when the PSI in the central region reached 123, the highest level recorded during the latest haze episode.The unhealthy readings continued into Sept. 5 before air quality returned to the moderate range at 9 p.m. that day.The deterioration prompted the NEA to begin issuing daily haze advisories from the evening of Sept. 4.Under the NEA's classification, a 24-hour PSI reading between 101 and 200 is considered unhealthy. Readings between 201 and 300 are classified as very unhealthy, while levels above 300 are considered hazardous.The latest deterioration in Singapore's air quality comes as fires continue to generate smoke plumes across parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan, with weather conditions expected to remain a factor in the movement of haze toward Singapore.
