Singapore Air Quality Hits Unhealthy Levels Across All Regions

Air quality across all five regions of Singapore reached unhealthy levels on Tuesday, September 15, for the first time since September 2019. The National Environment Agency reported that the 24 hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) in the central region peaked at 154, while other regions also crossed the 101 threshold. By noon on Tuesday, air quality in the northern and southern regions had dipped back into the moderate range, though the east, west, and central regions remained unhealthy. The National Environment Agency attributed the haze to moderate to dense smoke plumes from wildfires in Kalimantan and southern Sumatra, which drifted toward Singapore due to prevailing winds from the southeast to east-southeast. Dry conditions are forecast to persist in the region, meaning Singapore will likely continue to be affected by smoke haze. Data from the forestry ministry's SiPongi platform indicates that hotspots in Indonesia have been higher than normal this year, with over 9,000 recorded in August and more than 7,000 in September. Center-right sources framed the event by emphasizing the broader regional impact and global pollution rankings, noting that Singapore ranked among the 10 most polluted cities in the world according to IQAir data. Center sources focused more on the specific PSI measurements and the timeline of the air quality degradation across the city state.