Hot spots detected in Johor: Smoke haze could affect Singapore, says NEA

A few hot spots in Johor, Malaysia could affect Singapore, with smoke haze potentially impacting the island over the next few days.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday (March 10), the National Environment Agency (NEA) said that with prevailing northeasterly winds and dry conditions expected in the coming days, smoke haze could spread into Singapore.

"As of 9pm today, the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) ranged from 52 to 59, which is within the Moderate range," said NEA.

The agency added that it will continue to monitor the overall air quality situation and provide updates if necessary.

In the comments section, several users noted a faint burning smell. "No wonder there's a smell," said one user. 

Another added: "I smelled haze in the evening just now. It's a bit better now."

On January 27, Singapore experienced haze following a fire in Kota Tinggi's Punggai area, about 26 km east of the island, which had grown to affect roughly 99.54 hectares of land since it started on Jan 23.

The fire was reported to have spread from 5.26 hectares to 12.14 hectares on Jan 26 due to dry weather, with prevailing north and north-easterly winds potentially carrying smoke toward Singapore.

For real-time information on air quality and weather conditions, members of the public can check the myENV app.

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xingying.koh@asiaone.com