In case you’ve forgotten, now is the period for the annual haze to come in.
The weather is dry and hot, which means our neighbour might see forest fires (whether due to weather or inconsiderate farmers) pop up on a daily basis.
So if you’ve not stocked up on N95 masks or be prepared to work out indoors, it might be a good idea to do so.
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But.
Don’t worry if masks are sold out for the time being because NEA has splendid news for us.
Number of Hotspots Drop
A hotspot is basically a burning area of forested land. Even if put out, smoke will continue to plume out from the area.
And when sent by the wind across the oceans, it becomes the haze.
So the more hotspots there are, the heavier the haze will be.
But you don’t have to worry about that for now because the number of hotspots has dropped from 68 to 36.
Here’s what it looks like on 10 Aug
And here’s what it looks like on 11 Aug
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Why the white area? This part isn’t scanned as the satellite only made a partial pass, and not a full one like the image on 10 August.
Nonetheless, a majority of the area was highlighted.
And the wind direction is blowing it slightly northwest, so Singapore’s pretty safe for now. The wind is expected to continue blowing from the same direction for the next few days.
Moderate Range PSI
As of 10 am today, both the 1-hour PM2.5 readings
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And the 24-hour PSI readings
Are in the Band I and Moderate range respectively.
Remember, Base Your Decisions On PM2.5 Readings
On a side note, here’s a friendly reminder.
If you’re someone who loves doing the One Punch Man workout and runs outside, don’t use the 24-hour PSI reading as a gauge.
Instead, base your decision to run indoors on a treadmill or outside on the PM2.5 readings.
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After all, the main air pollutant during the haze season is PM2.5, plus, these particles are typically small enough to get through your body’s natural defences.
Some Tips To Survive The Haze Season
While these tips are not needed right now, it’s always good to know what to do when the haze season starts up.
- Stock up on masks
- Elderly and children need to take care to stay indoors as much as possible
- Reduce outdoor activities
- Pay attention to NEA’s website dedicated to the haze
- Put aside a bit more money because chances are, your aircon’s going to be working hard throughout the season
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