The haze in Singapore reached a record high with the three-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) reading soaring to 321 at 10.00 pm on 19 June 2013, Wednesday. This far exceeds the previous worst reading of 226 in September 1997 and is past the “hazardous” level of 300.
The Education Ministry would have to decide whether to close schools and the Manpower Ministry may issue stop-work order if the haze condition worsens, said Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan at a news briefing on Wednesday night after the PSI soared to unprecedented levels.
The 3-hour PSI reading has since fallen back to the “very unhealthy” levels of 282 at 11.00 pm and 218 at midnight, and then to the “unhealthy” levels of 195 at 1.00 am and 137 at 6.00 am on 20 June 2013, Thursday.
How to Monitor the Haze Situation in Singapore
Click here for the updated 3-hour and 24-hour PSI readings on the National Environment Agency’s (NEA) website.
The PSI readings and health advisories for the five regions in Singapore (North, South, East, West and Central), which are updated at 8.00 am, 12 noon and 4.00 pm are available at NEA’s PSI page. You can also access PSI updates through the following channels:
- Weather@SG website
- NEA Twitter
- NEA Call Centre at 1800 CALL NEA (1800 2255 632)
- NEA myENV App on iPhone and Android.
Air Quality Based on PSI Readings
| PSI Value | Air Quality Descriptor (Health Advisory) |
|---|---|
| 0 – 50 | Good |
| 51 – 100 | Moderate |
| 101 – 200 | Unhealthy
(Persons with existing heart or respiratory ailments should reduce physical and outdoor activity. The general population should reduce vigorous outdoor activity.) |
| 201 – 300 | Very unhealthy
(Elderly and persons with existing heart or lung disease should stay indoors and reduce physical exertion and outdoor activity. The general population should reduce vigorous outdoor activity.) |
| 301 – 400 | Hazardous
(Children, elderly and persons with existing diseases should stay indoors and avoid outdoor activity. The general population should avoid unnecessary outdoor activity.) |
| > 400 | Hazardous
(Children, elderly and persons with existing diseases should stay indoors, keeping the windows and doors closed and avoiding physical exertion as far as possible. Outdoor activity should be avoided. The general population should keep physical exertion and outdoor activity to as low a level as possible). |
Health Advice from Singapore General Hospital
The Singapore General Hospital has shared how the haze hurts our bodies and useful tips on what you can do to protect your children and babies, as they have weaker immune systems and are more vulnerable during this haze period.
Haze Advisories
Based on the 24-hour PSI readings, the Ministry of Health (MOH) advises that Singaporeans limit prolonged or heavy outdoor activities. In particular, children, the elderly and those with heart or lung diseases, should avoid outdoor activities and seek treatment early if they feel unwell.
Below is a summary of the general advisories issued by the various agencies for the different groups as compiled by NEA:
| Community | Advisory | |
| 24-hour PSI Level 101-200 | 24-hour PSI Level 201-300 | |
| General Public |
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| School Children (Primary, Secondary, Pre-University) |
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| Children in Child Care Centres and Kindergartens |
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| Employees |
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| Sports Community |
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Source: NEA News Release 19 June 2013 (Annex B)
