The Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) on Tuesday at 9am reached 115 which is still within the "unhealthy" range.

On Monday at 10pm, the reading hit 155, the highest Singapore has seen in 16 years.  The PSI has been climbing steadily since Monday from 55 at 9am to 80 at 12pm and crossed into the "unhealthy" range of 105 at 3pm, according to the National Environment Agency (NEA).

Any reading between 101 and 200 is considered “unhealthy”.

The smoky-smelling haze from Indonesia shrouded skylines and was visible on street level at various places.  Marina Bay Sands was cloaked in smoke as the burnt smell pervaded the central business district.

The haze, brought about by prevailing winds from the fires in Indonesia’s Sumatra island, has affected Singapore since 13 June 2013 and is expected to continue over the next few days.

Environment and National Resources Minister, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan urged Indonesians "to enforce their own laws" in a Facebook post on Monday night.

"We are deeply concerned that the 113 hotspots in Sumatra have caused our 3 hour PSI to rise to 152. NEA has been in touch with the Indonesian authorities to register our concern, 

 

and renew our offer of assistance," he wrote.

"For too long, commercial interests in Indonesia have been allowed to over ride environmental concerns," he added, saying he would personally speak to his counterpart in Indonesia to "personally to convey the seriousness of the situation."

The last time Singapore saw such choking smog was in 1997, when the PSI index peaked at 226.
 
NEA advises on its website that people with existing heart or respiratory ailments should reduce physical exertion and outdoor activity. So far, the haze has not affected business or air transport.
 
Over the weekend, the haze situation also hit “unhealthy” levels in neighbouring Malaysia. The Malaysian pollutant index showed readings of 102 and 121 in parts of Pahang, Terengganu and Malacca on Monday.Singapore experiences hazy weather conditions on a yearly basis when winds from Indonesian forest fires blows over the region during periods of persistent dry weather conditions.

The last time the PSI went over 100 in Singapore was on October 21, 2010, when it hit 106, according to local media.

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