Haze in Singapore due to Sumatra fires

• Clivebenss

  17 Oct 10, 02:55

  Posted: 16 October 2010 2021 hrs

  SINGAPORE: The skies over Singapore were slightly hazy on Saturday.
  
  The National Environment Agency (NEA) attributed this to the smoke haze from the fires in Sumatra brought in by the prevailing southwesterly winds.
  
  "The latest satellite pass today detected 80 hotspots mainly in the Riau Province in Sumatra," added the NEA in a statement.
  
  The air quality in Singapore, as measured by the PSI readings, was in the moderate range - which is one level below the good range.
  
  At 4pm, the 24-hour PSI reading was 54.
  
  "The winds are expected to remain southwesterly tomorrow and showers with thunder are expected in the morning. The showers should help to mitigate the smoke haze but there is still a possibility that some slight haziness may remain tomorrow," said the NEA.
  
  It pointed out that at the recent meeting on haze pollution held in Brunei, Singapore has cautioned that periods of dry conditions may occur during the inter-monsoon season and urged ASEAN member states to remain vigilant and to continuously monitor as well as implement haze prevention activities.
  
  NEA is monitoring the smoke haze situation closely and will provide updates should the air quality deteriorate. Members of the public may also call NEA Call Centre at 1800-CALL NEA (1800-2255 632) or access www.nea.gov.sg for any feedback or update on the situation.
  
  
  - CNA/ir

• kilfer

  17 Oct 10, 03:02

  No wonder my life feels so hazy today!

• likeyou

  17 Oct 10, 08:21

  It was so hot and humid!

  And I am waiting for the rain to come...very very hot.

• troublemaker2005

  17 Oct 10, 09:43

  sway got this type of nneighbor

• Clivebenss

  19 Oct 10, 18:33

  hazy again.

• FireIce

  19 Oct 10, 19:40

  PSI at 6pm - 78
  
  PSI at 7pm - 83

• Junyang700

  19 Oct 10, 19:46

  UP UP UP!
  
  Who knows it might just hit 300 by this weekend if there is no rain.

• Clivebenss

  19 Oct 10, 21:43

  Haze back in Singapore, with PSI reading at 77
  Posted: 19 October 2010 1924 hrs

  SINGAPORE : The haze is back in Singapore, as the southwesterly winds blow in the smoke from the fires in Sumatra.
  
  The National Environment Agency (NEA) said the 3-hour PSI reading on Tuesday climbed from 78 at 6pm to 84 at 8pm before dropping to 77 at 9pm. Though the readings are still in the moderate range, the condition has worsened from the 24-hour reading of 56 at 4pm.
  
  The 24-hour PSI is a measure of the air quality over a period of 24 hours. It is updated at 4pm daily. The 3-hour PSI reading is a measure of the air quality over a period three hours. It is updated on the hour.
  
  A PSI reading of above 100 is considered unhealthy.
  
  The NEA said the latest satellite pass detected 202 hotspots in Sumatra, mainly in the provinces of South Sumatra, Jambi and Riau.
  
  The winds are expected to remain southwesterly to westerly from the evening to Wednesday, and showers with thunder are expected in the late morning and afternoon on Wednesday.
  
  NEA said the showers should help to mitigate some of the smoke haze, but there is still a possibility that some slight haziness may remain over the next few days.
  
  The agency is monitoring the smoke haze situation closely and will provide updates should the air quality deteriorate.
  
  Members of the public may also call the NEA Call Centre at 1800-CALL NEA (1800-2255-632) or access www.nea.gov.sg for any feedback or update on the situation.
  
  - CNA/al/ir

  

• likeyou

  20 Oct 10, 00:23

  Originally posted by Junyang700:

  UP UP UP!
  
  Who knows it might just hit 300 by this weekend if there is no rain.

  
  Spore will declare public holiday.....all stay at home.

• Clivebenss

  20 Oct 10, 00:41

  Originally posted by likeyou:

  
  Spore will declare public holiday.....all stay at home.

  12am PSI dropped to 55

• likeyou

  20 Oct 10, 00:46

  Originally posted by Clivebenss:

  12am PSI dropped to 55

  
  I am sure the haze will be back again next day early in the morning.

• Clivebenss

  20 Oct 10, 01:02

  Originally posted by likeyou:

  
  I am sure the haze will be back again next day early in the morning.

  can check here:

  http://app2.nea.gov.sg/psi.aspx

• likeyou

  20 Oct 10, 09:18

  This morning looks ok for me...better than yesterday.

• Clivebenss

  20 Oct 10, 14:08

  hope they rain in Sumatra.

• Clivebenss

  20 Oct 10, 15:38

  3pm PSI: 80

  getting bad. skip afternoon walk.

• troublemaker2005

  20 Oct 10, 15:41

  Originally posted by Clivebenss:

  hope they rain in Sumatra.

  
  hope tsunami.

• Clivebenss

  20 Oct 10, 17:41

  Originally posted by troublemaker2005:

  
  hope tsunami.

  Tsunami not good, must be cyclone or typhoon.

  

• troublemaker2005

  20 Oct 10, 17:45

  all better.

• Clivebenss

  20 Oct 10, 17:46

  

• Icygecko84

  20 Oct 10, 17:50

  No wonder so hot knn burn down their country the best. 

• Clivebenss

  20 Oct 10, 17:50

  Oct 20, 2010 - Straits Times

  Disappointed over hotspots

  By Amresh Gunasingham

  
  

  A SINGAPORE minister has expressed disappointment at the recent sharp increase in hotspots in the region of Sumatra which has brought haze back to Singapore in recent days.

  Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Yaacob Ibrahim on Wednesday said Singapore has asked the Indonesian authorities on several occasions to take extra measures to make sure the forest fires do not recur.

  'It is a matter that cannot be taken lightly,' he told reporters on the sidelines of the opening of a new co-generation power plant by Powerseraya at Jurong Island on Wednesday, adding that Asean members had agreed to take steps at a recent meeting on the haze issue to emphasize the need for more vigilance against firestarters.

  Dr Yaacob advised those more vulnerable to respiratory ailments to curb their outdoor activities following a worsening of the haze on Tuesday. If the situation gets worse, the authorities will consider issuing a health advisory, said Dr Yaacob. But for now, the Pollutant Standard Index (PSI) is in the moderate range, meaning no special precautions need to be taken. As at 3 pm on Wednesday, the PSI stood at 80.

  Satellite pictures on Tuesday showed 202 'hot spots' in Sumatra, indicating where Indonesian farmers and plantation companies had set fires to clear large swathes of forests to get the land ready for the crop-planting season. The prevailing winds from the south-west carried the smoke to Singapore, said the National Environment Ministry.

  Many areas in Malaysia were also blanketed in thick haze on Wednesday, with the air quality in Muar reaching an unhealthy level based on the Air Pollutant Index (API) readings compared with 51 other areas nationwide. Malaysia's Department of Environment said in a statement on Wednesday that the API readings at 11am showed 27 areas with moderate air quality and 23 areas with good-quality air.

  Declining air quality have been reported over the last two days in several places such as in north Johor, Malacca, Negeri Sembilan and Selangor, due to the haze brought in from Sumatra.

• Bus&Soccer l0v3r (VO3x 1)

  20 Oct 10, 17:51

  No Wonder i cant see East Coast Park from my school

• troublemaker2005

  20 Oct 10, 18:00

  singapore having disaster we need help. all those hispitalized or get mc from the bad air pls retain all bills nd mcs and doc douments. consolidate and then claim from indom gahmen. they disater people help. we disatser who help? they help us back mah. like that then frioend firend mah./ sg gahmen should go international law and claim back if not their people act blu burn forests and fielsd, their end small fire don;t care big fires wait until wind change. then sg and johor suffer only.selfish ppl

• FireIce

  21 Oct 10, 00:04

  more ppl will be on MC.

• Junyang700

  21 Oct 10, 00:09

  Originally posted by troublemaker2005:

  singapore having disaster we need help. all those hispitalized or get mc from the bad air pls retain all bills nd mcs and doc douments. consolidate and then claim from indom gahmen. they disater people help. we disatser who help? they help us back mah. like that then frioend firend mah./ sg gahmen should go international law and claim back if not their people act blu burn forests and fielsd, their end small fire don;t care big fires wait until wind change. then sg and johor suffer only.selfish ppl

  I think its the other way round. Months back our govt just sent them some money to educate its people to find alternative ways instead of burning the forests... but they are still burning...