THE air quality in Singapore hit “unhealthy” levels again this afternoon, just hours ahead of the final race of the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix 2019, which kicks off tonight.

In a 2pm update, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said the 24-hour Pollutant Standard Index (PSI) readings ranged from between 101 and 116, with the highest level recorded in the southern part of the republic.

Divided into five zones, the PSI readings first entered the “unhealthy” range (101-200) across the republic on September 18, before settling mostly in the “moderate” range over the past few days.

Yesterday, the NEA had forecast that today, prevailing winds were to blow from the east or southeast, and Singapore may experience increased smog as the winds could blow smoke from the surrounding region to Singapore.

“The 24-hr PSI is forecast to be between the ‘moderate’ range and the low end of ‘unhealthy’ range, and, depending on the wind conditions, may enter the mid-section of the ‘unhealthy’ range if denser haze from the surrounding region is blown in,” it said.

The NEA added that for the next few days, the weather in the region was expected to remain generally dry.

The agency said hotspot activities and smoky conditions were expected to persist over central and southern Sumatra and in Kalimantan. 

“The prevailing winds in the region are forecast to blow from the east, and this may bring an improvement to the hazy conditions in Singapore,” it said.  

It said it was monitoring the situation closely and would provide further updates when necessary. – Bernama, September 22, 2019.