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Singapore's haze is the worst since 2015, and the smoke is not finished
Singapore had 14 straight days of unhealthy air from 5 October, with the 24-hour PSI reaching 229 in the city centre. Readings eased on 21 October, but the National Environment Agency forecasts unhealthy air again. How to plan a visit around it.
By Spike Travel Editorial Desk, Editorial team
Published Oct 21, 2026. 1 min read
What you need to know
- Singapore has had its longest run of unhealthy air since the 2015 haze crisis: 14 consecutive days from 5 October, The Straits Times reported on 18 October.
- The 24-hour PSI reached 229, in the 'very unhealthy' band, in the central region on 16 October, and a season high of 230 in the west.
- At 7pm on 21 October the 24-hour PSI was 80–123, moderate to unhealthy. The National Environment Agency forecast 101–160, unhealthy, for 22 October, with more smoke from fires in Kalimantan possible.
- At unhealthy levels NEA tells healthy adults to reduce prolonged or strenuous outdoor exertion, and the elderly, pregnant women and children to minimise it.
- For the next hour outdoors, NEA says to go by the 1-hour PM2.5 reading; use the 24-hour PSI forecast to plan the next day.
Smoke from land and forest fires across the Strait has given Singapore its worst haze in more than a decade. From 5 October the air was unhealthy for 14 consecutive days, matching the 2015 crisis, The Straits Times reported on 18 October. On 16 October the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index in the central region reached 229 at 3pm, inside the "very unhealthy" band that starts at 201, and the west later hit a season high of 230.
Where it stands
The air improved after showers on 21 October. At 7pm that day the 24-hour PSI ranged from 80 to 123 across the island, moderate to unhealthy, and the hourly fine-particle readings were in the agency's two lowest bands, according to the National Environment Agency. The agency still forecast 101 to 160, unhealthy, for 22 October, and said winds could carry more smoke from fires in southern Kalimantan towards Singapore. Smoke was also visible over Sumatra.
What the health advice says
NEA publishes advice for each band, and in an unhealthy forecast it is specific. Healthy adults should reduce prolonged or strenuous outdoor exertion. The elderly, pregnant women and children should minimise it, and people with chronic lung or heart disease should avoid it.
Two numbers matter. To plan tomorrow, use the 24-hour PSI forecast. To decide about the next hour, the agency says to go by the 1-hour PM2.5 reading: if it is above the normal band, cut back on strenuous activity outdoors for that hour.
Planning a visit this week
Check haze.gov.sg each morning and keep a wet-weather list handy: the National Gallery, the ArtScience Museum, the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay and the hawker centres are all indoors or under cover. Save the MacRitchie TreeTop Walk and other long walks for a clear day. If you have asthma or a heart condition, bring your medication and ask your doctor about a mask before you fly.
Sources
Where the facts on this page come from. Dates show when we last checked each one.
- National Environment Agency: Haze situation update and health advisory (21 October 2026)accessed Oct 21, 2026
- National Environment Agency: Haze situation and PSI readingsaccessed Oct 21, 2026
- CNA: Singapore haze, air quality very unhealthy in central region (16 October 2026)accessed Oct 21, 2026
- The Straits Times: Haze in Singapore, PSI hits new high in west (18 October 2026)accessed Oct 21, 2026
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