Haze situation in Singapore expected to improve as inter-monsoon period sets in: Met Service - CNA
Favourable winds and wetter conditions are expected to help improve the haze situation in Singapore, the Meteorological Service Singapore said.
Rain clouds are seen above the Marina Bay Sands hotel and resorts building in Singapore. (File photo: AFP/Roslan RAHMAN)
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SINGAPORE: Haze conditions in Singapore are expected to improve as the inter-monsoon period sets in, the Meteorological Service Singapore said on Thursday (Oct 29).
The inter-monsoon period is characterised by light and variable winds, as well as increased showers and higher lightning activity.
“With the shift from persistent southeasterly or southwesterly winds to light and variable winds in the surrounding region, smoke haze is less likely to be transported from fires towards Singapore,” the Met Service said.
CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less “Together with wetter conditions over Singapore and the nearby areas, the smoke haze situation for Singapore is expected to improve.”
In its latest haze advisory on Thursday evening, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said showers are expected over Sumatra, Kalimantan, Singapore and the surrounding region on Friday, which should help keep the haze situation suppressed.
Air quality was moderate across all regions in Singapore on Thursday.
Hourly PM2.5 readings were also in the normal range across the country, although levels briefly crossed into the elevated range in the west on Thursday morning.
The agency advised members of the public to refer to the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) forecast and corresponding health advisories when planning outdoor activities for the following day, and to check the 1-hour PM2.5 readings for immediate outdoor activities.
In its fortnightly weather outlook, the Met Service said moderate to heavy thundery showers are expected over parts of Singapore on most afternoons in the first two weeks of November.
The showers may extend into the evening on a few days, with total rainfall forecast to be slightly above the long-term average over most parts of the island.
Despite the wetter weather, daily maximum temperatures are expected to range between 33°C and 35°C on most days, and could slightly exceed 35°C on a few days.
The expected improvement in haze conditions follows a period of poor air quality.
Southwest monsoon conditions prevailed over Singapore and the surrounding region from Oct 16 to Oct 28.
"With winds blowing mostly from the southeast or southwest, smoke haze was transported to Singapore and air quality reached 'unhealthy' levels for seven days and 'very unhealthy' levels for three days between Oct 16 and Oct 28," the Met Service said.
Most parts of Singapore also recorded below-average rainfall during the period, while daily maximum temperatures exceeded 34°C on most days.
The highest daily maximum temperature of 36.1°C was recorded at Woodlands on Oct 23.
