Air quality in central Singapore fell into the unhealthy range on Saturday, CNA reported, as haze conditions returned to the island.
The Straits Times also reported that the Pollutant Standards Index for the central region had moved back into the unhealthy band as air quality deteriorated. AsiaOne said Singapore's PSI was forecast to sit between the high-moderate and low-unhealthy range for the day.
IQAir issued a transboundary haze alert for Singapore, pointing to pollution drifting in from outside the country.
The National Environment Agency published a haze situation update dated 1 October 2026, ahead of the weekend decline.
Singapore's PSI readings are grouped by region, and the central region's move into the unhealthy band means conditions there crossed the threshold at which the government advises reduced outdoor activity. The reporting links the episode to transboundary haze, the term used when smoke from fires elsewhere in the region is carried into Singapore by prevailing winds.
The NEA update and the weekend forecasts together indicate that officials expect the situation to fluctuate rather than clear immediately, with readings projected to range from the upper end of moderate to the lower end of unhealthy.
What to watch next: the NEA's daily haze updates and the hourly PSI readings for each region, which will show whether the central area stays in the unhealthy band or eases back to moderate.
