Remember the days when we used to complain profusely about the haze?
It was a simpler time, when wearing a mask once a week was unbearable and having large parties wasn’t illegal.
But then the coronavirus emerged, and now no one is worried about the haze anymore.
Haze: I liked it better when you hated me.
Now that the Covid-19 situation has been seemingly controlled in Singapore, the haze has made something of a comeback, albeit a small one.
PSI Had Suddenly Hit 100 in Northern Part of S’pore on 27 Feb Evening
Residents in the nothern part of Singapore must have wondered if a large tribe of chain smokers suddenly migrated to their area on Saturday (27 Feb).
Air quality in the area entered the unhealthy range as the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) went beyond the 100 mark.
It first breached the 100 mark at 7pm, reaching 102, and hit a high of 108 at 8pm before dropping to 104 at 9pm and 90 at 10pm, according to CNA.
According to the National Environmental Agency’s (NEA) website, PSI readings of 50 and below indicate good air quality, while 50 to 100 is moderate.
Anything above 101 is considered unhealthy.
As of 10pm, all readings in the country were in the moderate range:
- 61 in the south
- 70 in the east
- 58 in the west
- 65 in the central region
How is PSI Calculated?
The 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) is calculated based on six air pollutants – PM2.5, PM10, ozone, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide.
Singapore’s air quality is continuously monitored through a network of air monitoring sensors across the island.
According to NEA, the ozone sub-index was in the Unhealthy range between 7pm and 9pm.
When PSI readings for an area are in the unhealthy range…
- healthy residents are advised to reduce prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion
- the elderly, pregnant women, and children are advised to minimise prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion
- those with chronic lung disease or heart disease are advised to avoid prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion
Haze Hotspots Observed in Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia
On its website, NEA said thin to moderate smoke haze was detected over much of the sub-region, with dense smoke haze observed over Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia.
“However, in areas with cloud cover, the full extent of the smoke haze could not be fully discerned,” the agency said.
“Most of the air quality stations in the central parts of the Mekong sub-region reported Unhealthy air quality values, with a few in the northeastern Thailand and its central highland regions reporting Very Unhealthy air quality.”
Let’s hope the haze doesn’t make a full comeback. Our face masks can only handle one crisis at a time.
Featured Image: Google Maps
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