SINGAPORE: The National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Monday (Jan 26) that some smoke haze could be transported to Singapore as a result of hotspots from vegetation fires to its north.
This is due to prevailing winds blowing from the north or northeast, the agency said in a Facebook post.
“While a burning smell may be noticeable, it does not always result in a significant change to air quality readings,” it added.
At 10pm, the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) ranged from 43 to 56 in the good to moderate range. An hour later, the readings ranged from 45 to 53.
NEA said it is monitoring the situation closely.
Netizens had taken to social media to complain of a burnt smell in some parts of Singapore over the past few days, with at least three new threads posted on Reddit on Monday.
Some said that the smell caused irritation to their noses and throats.
The 24-hour PSI is computed based on six air pollutants – PM2.5, PM10, ozone, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide.
It was developed as an indicator of Singapore’s daily air quality and is the reading that NEA’s daily health advisories are based on.
On Saturday evening, NEA said in a Facebook post that PM2.5 levels in the eastern part of Singapore were “slightly elevated”, referring to fine inhalable particles in the air measuring up to 2.5 micrometres in diameter.
Noting that some residents had complained of a faint burnt smell, it added that this was likely due to a detected hotspot and smoke plume in Johor that was near Singapore.