Singapore may experience haze in coming weeks and months

Singapore may experience haze in coming weeks and months: Met Service

There may be occasional haze in the next few weeks or months as drier conditions are expected, said the Meteorological Service Singapore on Friday (Aug 2).

Drier-than-normal weather conditions have been forecast in the coming weeks for Singapore and the surrounding region, including Sumatra and Kalimantan.

"In recent days, persistent hotspot activities with smoke plumes have been observed in Riau and Jambi provinces in Sumatra and southern parts of Kalimantan," said the Met Service.

"These conditions can lead to an escalation of hotspot activities and an increase in the risk of transboundary haze occurrence in Singapore and the surrounding region."

The number of hot spots from forest fires in Indonesia has been increasing, prompting authorities to declare an emergency in six provinces on the island of Sumatra and the province of Kalimantan.

Thousands of military and police have been deployed to douse the forest fires.

Singapore has also been experiencing dry and warm weather in recent weeks.

The Met Service said on Thursday that last month was the driest July since rainfall records began in 1869. It was also the second warmest since temperature records began in 1929.

The Met Service said it will continue to closely monitor the regional weather and haze situation.

"The likelihood of haze affecting Singapore is dependent on factors such as the proximity and extent of the fires, the direction and strength of the prevailing winds, and the incidence of rain," it said, adding that information on the haze can be found on its website.

Source: CNA/ec(gs)