Haze is Officially Back, Especially in the West of S’pore

Update at 4:25pm (14 Sept 2019): 24-hr PSI has hit 103 in the west.

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s official: lai liao.

No, I’m not referring to the General Elections, although that’s also lai liao soon; I’m referring to the smell that has plagued us in the past.

Here’s an image taken from our office window at Bukit Batok Crescent, and a way to show my boss that I’m in the office working on a Saturday afternoon:

In the past few weeks, we’ve been writing about an impending IPPT-killer that’s set to cloud our atmosphere and lead to panic-purchase of N95 masks. Usually, our prayers for rain were heard and we smell nothing unusual except our friends’ fart.

This afternoon, if you live in the west and step out of your air-conditioned mansion, you’ll wonder if anyone’s still burning offerings even when the 7th month is over.

Over here in Bukit Batok, the smell is extremely obvious; so obvious. I thought the PSI is at a whopping 400 again until I check haze.gov.sg and is faced with a reality that doesn’t seem so real:

In the west, it’s at 98, but it feels 198. But nonetheless, 24-hr PSI seems okay.

But not 1-hr PM2.5:

Now, with the west at 24-hr PSI at 98 and 1-hr PM2.5 at 123m, should you be worried?

Technically speaking, we should look at 24-hr PSI, but the 1-hr PM2.5 would usually correspond to the 24-hr PSI. Anything between 56 and 150 might eventually lead to a 24-r PSI of 100, so with the current air quality, it’s really hovering on the unhealthy side.

In other words, if you stay in the west or southwest, be very prepared.

(Update at 4:25pm (14 Sept 2019): 24-hr PSI has hit 103 in the west.)

Warning Came Way Before Today

Yesterday, it was already reported that a haze might be coming, especially so when 1,264 hotspots were detected on Thursday and another 222 hotspots detected in Sumatra.

According to NEA, dry conditions and winds might lead to haze, and that might has become a has.

Any PSI readings above 100 to 200 is unhealthy, and members of the public are encouraged to reduce prolonged outdoor activities.

Yesterday night, the west side of Singapore hit the tipping point of 99, though I’m sure many of us are sleeping our way through the haze.

What to Do

Lest you’ve forgotten, Singapore has gone through a few years (about three, to be exact) without haze after the authorities slammed and boycotted companies that contributed to the haze. Needless to say, without demand, there won’t be supply.

This also explains why this latest haze feels so distant yet so familiar.

So if you’ve forgotten what N95 is and think that it’s a new Nokia phone that runs on Android, here’s some good old advice:

1. Your nose might be as accurate as a Labrador Retriever, but it’s always better to trust the authorities: check out haze.gov.sg or download the official NEA app (search for myENV) to access the latest air quality info. Since you’re downloading that, download the Goody Feed app, too, because we love you and hate the haze, too.
2. Once PSI hits 100, be on alert and follow this infographic on what you can and can’t do
3. Children, elderly, pregnant women and people with pre-existing lung or heart disease, or people with asthma, should try to stay indoor with air-conditioner if possible
4. If you’re not feeling well, seek medical attention immediately
5. While it hasn’t reached that stage, you might want to stock up on the correct masks: go for N95 and not those fancy ones with Hello Kitty images. Don’t worry, days of N95 running out of stock is part of history liao

In the meantime, drink lots of water and pray for rain.