AI Brief
- Singapore experienced its 12th consecutive day of unhealthy air quality, the longest stretch since the 2015 haze crisis.
- The 24-hour PSI air quality index in central Singapore reached 227, marking a new high for the year.
- Authorities distributed N95 masks to vulnerable groups as haze from Indonesian wildfires continued to affect the region.
SINGAPORE recorded its 12th consecutive day of unhealthy air quality on Friday (October 16), marking its longest continuous stretch of poor air quality since the 2015 haze crisis.
The 24-hour PSI air quality index in central Singapore hit 227 at 9 a.m. (0100 GMT) on Friday, a new high for the year, said local media.
Worsening air quality has prompted the government to introduce relief measures on Wednesday (October 14), distributing N95 masks to eligible residents, including seniors, lower-income families, children and people with asthma.
Indonesia has come under heavy criticism after months of fierce wildfires that have caused respiratory problems for hundreds of thousands of people and spread thick haze into neighbouring countries.
The islands of Sumatra and Borneo, close to Singapore and Malaysia, have been the worst affected, with the fire able smoulder slowly beneath the surface of large stretches of peatland and re-emerge at any moment.
