Record haze pushes Singapore PM2.5 to very high level, East Timor closes schools
Singapore’s PM2.5 reading jumped to 284 µg/m³, entering the “very high” band, and East Timor suspended in-person schooling for three days because of smoke from nearby wildfires.
During the latest haze episode, a one-hour PM2.5 measurement in western Singapore reached 284 µg/m³, pushing the reading into the National Environmental Agency’s “very high” category for the first time this season. The government of East Timor responded by suspending face-to-face classes for three days starting Oct. 15, attributing the decision to pollutant particles from wildfires in adjacent areas, including Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara Province.
Indonesia is confronting its most intense wildfire season in over a decade, exacerbated by El Niño-induced dry conditions, and has increased its firefighting force to more than 69,000 personnel while testing chemical suppressants. In Central Kalimantan, the ISPU air-pollution index topped 1,200, far above the hazardous threshold, and thick haze reduced visibility in Palangka Raya. The deteriorating air quality has spurred a rise in respiratory illnesses and forced school shutdowns in multiple Malaysian states. Regional leaders are set to discuss transboundary haze at an upcoming ASEAN meeting, amid calls from Malaysian lawmakers for a diplomatic protest against Indonesia’s handling of the fires.
Why it matters
Severe haze threatens health, education and regional relations across Southeast Asia.
How this story developed
- Sep 27 Sumatra forest fires blamed for worsening haze over Johor and nearby regions
- Sep 28 A coalition of civil society and indigenous groups has filed a class-action lawsuit accusing the Indonesian government of failing to prevent massive forest and peatland fires in West Kalimantan.
- Oct 5 The Department of Environment reported that Malaysia contributed only about 3% of fire hotspots detected by satellite in southern Southeast Asia, with most occurring in Indonesia's Kalimantan and Sumatra.
- Oct 10 Kuala Lumpur and Singapore now record AQI levels that place them among the world’s most polluted major cities.
- Oct 10 The class‑action suit moved to a hearing in Pontianak, where no defendants were present.
- Oct 12 Malaysia's foreign minister said he will raise the transboundary haze problem at the upcoming ASEAN foreign ministers gathering, urging stronger regional measures.
- Oct 13 Updated satellite data reveal further growth in Sumatra's fire hotspots.
- Oct 13 Deputy Minister Syed Ibrahim said evidentiary gaps hinder legal action against overseas firms.
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