19 hours ago
Singapore not affected by transboundary haze despite surge in Sumatra hotspots: NEA
SINGAPORE: Singapore has not been impacted by transboundary haze despite a spike in the number of forest and land fires in Indonesia's Sumatra, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Tuesday (Jul 22).
In response to queries from CNA, NEA said that this was due to favourable wind conditions.
"Based on satellite observations, smoke plumes were detected in the southern and central parts of Sumatra in recent days," the agency said.
"As the prevailing winds are mostly blowing from the southeast over Singapore and the vicinity, Singapore has not been affected by transboundary haze."
Dry conditions in the region are, however, expected to persist until the end of the week before wetter conditions return and possibly improve the regional hotspot and haze situation, NEA added.
The agency said that the ongoing dry season in the southern Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region is expected to last until October.
"During this period, dry conditions may occur over the region," said NEA.
"The hotspot and smoke haze situation may escalate at times, and depending on prevailing wind conditions, increase the risk of transboundary haze affecting Singapore."
If transboundary haze affects Singapore, NEA said that the government's inter-agency Haze Task Force – comprising 28 government ministries and agencies – will activate the necessary action plans to mitigate and manage the impact of the haze, should the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index enter the unhealthy range.
"Tiered measures will be implemented depending on the intensity of the haze, along with advisories to the public," the agency added.
Sumatra reported a total of 1,292 hotspots on Monday, a jump from 94 on Jul 12.
Hotspots, which appear on satellite images, represent areas where there are high levels of heat – possibly as a result of forest or land fires.
Within the region, Riau province has been the worst hit by fires in forests and peatlands, with a total of 582 hotspots reported on Monday. This is up from 38 hotspots reported on Jul 12.
In an advisory on Jul 19 regarding transboundary haze, the Malaysian Meteorological Department, MetMalaysia, said that hotspots in Sumatra captured by satellite imagery last Friday and reported by the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre could have contributed to haze carried by southwesterly winds.
It stated that the haze was affecting several states on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, with the agency not expecting any changes in weather or wind direction that could reduce its impact over the coming days.
