Central Singapore’s air quality slipped back into the unhealthy range on Saturday, September 19, 2026. Its 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) crossed the threshold at 1pm and continued to rise through the evening, reaching 113 by 11pm.
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How the central region’s PSI changed
The central region recorded a 24-hour PSI of 102 at 1pm, 107 at 3pm, 109 at 7pm and 113 by 11pm—an increase of 11 points over those ten hours. A 24-hour PSI of 101 to 200 is classified as unhealthy; 51 to 100 is moderate.
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How did the rest of Singapore compare?
At 7pm, the western region’s PSI was 95 and the eastern region’s was 94. Both were still moderate, though close to the unhealthy threshold. Other regions also remained in the moderate range on Saturday, according to the reporting available for that day.
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This was a return to unhealthy air in the centre, not a repeat of the more widespread episode on September 15, when all five regions had unhealthy readings at 10am and the central region reached 145. An earlier central-region spike had reached 106 on September 10 before readings across the island returned to the moderate range the following day.
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What NEA forecast—and why haze remained a risk
In its September 19 haze update, the National Environment Agency (NEA) forecast the 24-hour PSI in the high-moderate to mid-unhealthy range. At 5pm, it reported readings of 80 to 108 across Singapore, spanning the moderate and unhealthy bands.
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NEA said dry conditions were continuing and expected to persist over Kalimantan and southern Sumatra. It also observed smoke plumes from fires in those areas drifting towards Singapore. Prevailing winds could bring that smoke haze across the border, leaving air quality sensitive to changes in the regional fire and wind conditions.
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For outdoor plans, the distinction between the measures matters: the 24-hour PSI describes the broader air-quality and health-advisory band, while NEA advises checking one-hour PM2.5 readings for more immediate outdoor activity decisions.
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