S’pore is experiencing its 12th consecutive day of unhealthy air, the longest since 2015 haze crisis

A 12-day run of unhealthy air means Singapore’s air quality crossed into the unhealthy PSI band on each of 12 successive days. This signals sustained exposure risk, not necessarily that every location stayed unhealthy all day.

The PSI ranges from good at 0-50 to hazardous above 300. Unhealthy is 101-200, while very unhealthy is 201-300. Officials count a day when the PSI exceeds 100 at any time in any part of Singapore.

Readings first entered the very unhealthy range at 9pm on Oct 14, reaching 203 in western Singapore. At 8am, central Singapore recorded 226. The health guidance says healthy people should reduce normal activities from PSI 101, and avoid prolonged or strenuous outdoor activity at very unhealthy levels.

Singapore’s 2026 haze has produced almost six weeks of hazy conditions, beginning with unhealthy air on Sept 4. Its latest uninterrupted poor-air stretch has lasted 12 days. The air reached very unhealthy levels, but not the hazardous readings recorded in 2015.

In 2015, Singapore had about six weeks of haze and a 14-day bad-air stretch from Sept 23 to Oct 7. PSI readings exceeded 300 on two days. By comparison, the 2019 and 2023 episodes each produced unhealthy air for only a couple of days.

The current episode is therefore unusually persistent, although its worst readings remain below 2015’s peak. Hazy conditions in 2026 have come in periodic bouts since September, with the latest stretch becoming the longest continuous spell so far.

PM2.5 is particulate matter measuring no more than 2.5 microns in diameter. The article describes it as smaller than the width of a strand of hair. It is one of six pollutants measured in Singapore’s PSI and the dominant toxin during transboundary haze.

Its small size matters because these particles can penetrate deep into human lungs. That allows them to reach areas that larger particles may not enter as easily. PM2.5 exposure is therefore linked to respiratory effects and broader heart and lung risks.

Past studies link regular long-term exposure with lung cancer, heart disease and increased risk of death from heart and lung complications. A local study also found that short-term pollution spikes could be linked to more emergency-room visits, showing that harm is not limited to years of exposure.

Unhealthy or very unhealthy air can irritate the eyes, nose, throat, skin and lungs. Reported symptoms include runny nose, sneezing, conjunctivitis, eye irritation, cough, asthma, skin rashes and other respiratory problems. People with existing conditions may be especially affected.

Haze contains PM2.5, an ultra-fine pollutant that can travel deep into the lungs. During this episode, general practitioners and telemedicine providers reported a 20% to 30% increase in patients with haze-linked symptoms. A local study also linked small short-term pollution spikes to more emergency-room visits.

The Ministry of Health said it knew of no haze-related intensive-care admissions or deaths. It also said supplies were sufficient to cope. The increase in clinic and emergency-room visits shows that unhealthy air can raise demand for care even without a reported surge in the most severe outcomes.

Fires in Indonesia can affect Singapore because their smoke becomes transboundary haze. Pollution from burning forests and plantations can spread beyond the country where the fires started. Singapore then experiences poorer air quality even though the fires are outside its borders.

The haze contains PM2.5, described as the dominant toxin during transboundary haze. These particles are measured as one of the six pollutants contributing to Singapore’s PSI. As smoke pollution reaches different parts of Singapore, readings can rise into unhealthy or very unhealthy bands.

The 2026 episode has produced almost six weeks of hazy conditions and a 12-day continuous unhealthy-air stretch. The article links the fires’ worsening conditions to strong El Niño events, which bring drier, hotter weather in equatorial South-east Asia and help fires spiral out of control.

El Niño is a weather phenomenon associated in the article with drier and hotter weather across equatorial South-east Asia. The region includes Indonesia, where forest and plantation fires can produce smoke that becomes transboundary haze.

Dry, hot conditions increase the likelihood that fires will spiral out of control. The article identifies strong El Niño events as a factor worsening both the 2015 and 2026 haze episodes. The fires then release pollution, including PM2.5, which can travel into Singapore.

Singapore’s 2026 haze has lasted almost six weeks, with unhealthy air first recorded on Sept 4. Its latest poor-air stretch reached 12 days, and readings entered the very unhealthy range. The comparison with 2015 shows how weather patterns can contribute to prolonged regional haze, not merely isolated bad-air days.

Singapore’s immediate response focuses on protecting people from unhealthy air. The Government launched new relief measures after conditions worsened. Community clubs began distributing N95 masks to eligible Singaporeans, including seniors, lower-income families, pregnant women, children and asthma patients.

Air-conditioned rooms at community clubs were also opened as public haze shelters. These steps give vulnerable residents protective equipment and a place to escape polluted outdoor air. The Ministry of Health said medical supplies were sufficient to cope, and reported no known haze-related intensive-care admissions or deaths.

The article does not state that Singapore has taken specific enforcement action against companies responsible for fires. It also does not identify companies or describe accountability measures. Its reported response is therefore mainly public-health relief, while the haze continues and air quality remains very unhealthy in some areas.