On the morning of September 29th, Singapore found itself enveloped in the heaviest haze of the season, as smoke drifting from burning forests across the Malacca Strait pushed air quality into unhealthy territory across all five regions of the island simultaneously. The central district's Pollutant Standards Index climbed to 164 by mid-morning — a new seasonal peak — while fine particulate matter settled into the lungs of a city that had hoped the worst was behind it. For the vulnerable — the elderly, the very young, the pregnant, those already burdened by illness — the invisible air had become
Singapore's air quality hits unhealthy levels across all five regions as haze intensifies
Vulnerable populations including elderly, children, pregnant women, and those with chronic lung or heart disease are at health risk and advised to minimize outdoor activities.
Never seen such haze during night time before.
Mark
So this happened all at once—all five regions unhealthy on the same morning?
Mimi
Not quite. It started the night before, around 8 p.m., when the south and central areas crossed the threshold. Then it spread through the night and into the morning. By 7 a.m., the north was the last to join.
Luke
But we should note—the PSI is a 24-hour rolling average, so these readings reflect what happened over the previous day, not just that moment. The real-time picture is the one-hour PM2.5 readings, which were between 57 and 95 at 10 a.m.
Mark
What does that mean for someone actually outside?
Mimi
The one-hour readings are what you use to decide whether to go for a run or keep your kids indoors right now. Elevated means fine particles are thick in the air. The 24-hour PSI is more for planning tomorrow.
Luke
And we should be clear: the source says the one-hour readings were "generally on the downward trend" by morning, having peaked at 85 to 165 at midnight. So the worst moment was actually around midnight, not 10 a.m.
Mark
Who felt this the most?
Mimi
The vulnerable groups—elderly people, children, pregnant women, anyone with lung or heart disease. The government opened community centers with air conditioning so people could escape it.
Luke
Though the source doesn't tell us how many people actually used those centers, or what the health impact was. We know people were concerned and scared, based on the social media posts, but we don't have data on hospital visits or respiratory complaints.
Mark
When will it end?
Mimi
The forecast said showers were expected on September 29th, but the smoke would likely continue because of the wind direction. The source material doesn't project when it will clear.
Luke
Right—and the underlying cause is dry conditions in Sumatra and Kalimantan, which are outside Singapore's control. The agency can only forecast and advise; they can't stop the fires.
The Pulse
- Singapore's central PSI hit 164 by 10am on September 29th — surpassing the previous seasonal high of 154 and marking the worst air quality the city had seen since the haze returned in early September.
- For the first time in two weeks, all five regions crossed into the unhealthy range simultaneously, with the deterioration unfolding hour by hour through the night as each district fell past the 101 threshold.
- Residents reported tasting bitterness in the air through cracked windows and shared photographs of a night sky swallowed by smog, with some expressing they had never witnessed haze this severe after dark.
- Local officials opened air-conditioned community centres as refuge, with the MP for Jalan Besar GRC calling for collective action to protect seniors and students preparing for exams.
- Despite expected showers, the NEA warned that smoke carried on easterly winds from dry conditions over southern Sumatra and Kalimantan would continue to drift across the island, with no clear end in sight.
On the morning of September 29th, Singapore found itself enveloped in the heaviest haze of the season, as smoke drifting from burning forests across the Malacca Strait pushed air quality into unhealthy territory across all five regions of the island simultaneously. The central district's Pollutant Standards Index climbed to 164 by mid-morning — a new seasonal peak — while fine particulate matter settled into the lungs of a city that had hoped the worst was behind it. For the vulnerable — the elderly, the very young, the pregnant, those already burdened by illness — the invisible air had become a tangible threat, and the question of when relief might come remained unanswered. It is a recurring chapter in the region's story: the fires of one land becoming the breath of another.
Singapore woke on September 29th to its worst air in weeks. By 7am, the central region's Pollutant Standards Index had already reached 155; three hours later it climbed to 164 — the highest reading since smoke from Indonesian forest fires began crossing the strait at the start of the month. All five regions of the island — north, south, east, west, and central — had crossed into the unhealthy range for the first time in a fortnight.
The deterioration had crept in through the night. The southern and central areas breached the unhealthy threshold at 8pm on September 28th, the west followed an hour later, the east crossed over by midnight, and the north fell past the mark at 7am. By mid-morning, readings ranged from 106 in the north to 164 in the central district, with fine particulate matter concentrations elevated across the entire island. The previous seasonal peak of 154 — set on September 15th, the last time all five regions had simultaneously entered unhealthy territory — had now been surpassed.
The National Environment Agency had warned the evening before that dry weather persisting over southern Sumatra and parts of Kalimantan would keep conditions in the high moderate to mid-unhealthy range. Though showers were expected, the agency cautioned that smoke would continue to drift in on easterly and southeasterly winds.
Residents felt it in their homes. One person described tasting bitterness in the air after cracking open a window at 1am. Others refused to open their windows at all. A photograph shared from River Valley showed the haze consuming the night sky. 'Feeling terrified,' one resident wrote. 'Never seen such haze during night time before.'
In response, community centres in Whampoa-Boon Keng and Kallang were opened as air-conditioned shelters from 10am to 9pm daily. The local MP called on residents to look out for one another, particularly seniors and students in the middle of exam season. The NEA advised healthy individuals to cut back on strenuous outdoor activity, while urging the elderly, children, pregnant women, and those with chronic illness to stay indoors as the haze showed no sign of lifting soon.
Singapore woke to a choking morning on September 29th. By 7 a.m., the air quality monitors across the island's central region showed a reading of 155 on the Pollutant Standards Index—a measure of six key air pollutants used to guide whether people should venture outside. Three hours later, that number had climbed to 164, the worst the city had seen since smoke from burning forests in Indonesia began drifting across the strait in early September. For the first time in two weeks, all five regions of Singapore—north, south, east, west, and central—had crossed into what officials call the unhealthy range, where the 24-hour PSI sits between 101 and 200.
The deterioration happened in stages through the night of September 28th. The southern and central areas first breached the unhealthy threshold at 8 p.m., followed by the west an hour later at 101. By midnight, the east had joined them at 103. When morning came, the north was the last to cross over, hitting 101 at 7 a.m. By 10 a.m., all five regions were climbing: north at 106, south at 131, east at 134, west at 148, and central at 164. The one-hour PM2.5 readings—a measure of fine particulate matter that indicates immediate air quality for activities happening right now—showed concentrations between 57 and 95 across the island at 10 a.m., having all crossed into the elevated range the night before at 11 p.m. These readings had peaked at midnight between 85 and 165, though they were trending downward by morning.
The haze had returned to Singapore's air on September 4th for the first time since October 2023, but this September 29th marked a new severity. The previous seasonal peak had been 154 on September 15th—the last time all five regions had simultaneously breached the unhealthy threshold. Now that record had been broken. The National Environment Agency had forecast on the evening of September 28th that conditions would remain in the high moderate to mid-unhealthy range, driven by dry weather persisting over southern Sumatra and parts of Kalimantan. Though showers were expected over Singapore on September 29th, the agency warned that smoke would likely continue to drift across the island on easterly and southeasterly winds.
Residents felt the change in their homes and lungs. In the CloudSpotting & SkySpotting Singapore Facebook group, a user named Jess Thia described cracking open a window on a high floor around 1 a.m. on September 29th and being able to taste the bitterness in the air. Another resident, Prettyplushy Jamm, posted pictures of the smog and wrote that she hadn't dared open her windows at all. A third user, Krittika Samaddar, shared a photograph taken late on September 28th from St Thomas Walk in River Valley showing the haze obscuring the night sky. "Feeling terrified," she wrote. "Never seen such haze during night time before."
Local officials moved quickly to provide refuge. Shawn Loh, the Member of Parliament for Jalan Besar GRC, announced on the morning of September 29th that Residents' Network centres in Whampoa-Boon Keng would be open from 10 a.m. to about 9 p.m. daily, fully air-conditioned and available to the public. Whampoa and Kallang Community Centres would also remain open during those hours for residents seeking shelter. "The haze has gotten worse," Loh wrote on Facebook. "Many residents, especially seniors and students who are studying for their exams, are understandably concerned. We will take action as a community."
The National Environment Agency issued clear guidance for different populations. Healthy people were advised to reduce prolonged or strenuous outdoor activities when air quality entered the unhealthy range. Vulnerable groups—the elderly, children, pregnant women, and people with chronic lung or heart disease—were told to minimize or avoid outdoor activities altogether. The agency's forecasts suggested the haze would persist, making such precautions necessary for days to come.
Notable Quotes
The haze has gotten worse. Many residents, especially seniors and students who are studying for their exams, are understandably concerned. We will take action as a community.— Shawn Loh, Member of Parliament for Jalan Besar GRC
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