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"When we arrived two or three days ago, I was surprised to see the haze, because it looks worse than I've seen before," said U.S. visitor Will. "We've experienced wildfire smoke from Canada, which was a bit worse than this for a couple of days, but this has been pretty persistent."
Thick haze obscuring parts of Singapore's Central Business District and port area, while residents and visitors moved through the city under reduced visibility, Sept. 5, 2026. Video by Viroy
He said he had not noticed any health effects so far, but questioned whether the smoke was linked to intentional burning, adding that the dry conditions could be contributing to the fires.
Indonesian worker Elle said smoke had also reached the home where she works, describing an unpleasant smell and difficulty breathing.
Singapore's 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) reached 105 at its peak on Friday morning, putting air quality into the unhealthy range, according to the National Environment Agency. The agency advises people to reduce outdoor activities when the PSI is between 101 and 200.
It was the first time Singapore's PSI had reached unhealthy levels because of haze since October 2023.
Many of the fires across Sumatra and Indonesian Borneo have been burning since mid-July, with dry conditions intensified by a so-called Super El Nino.
The smoke has also affected other parts of Southeast Asia. Haze blanketed Metro Manila earlier this week, with Philippine authorities warning that elevated levels of fine PM2.5 particles could persist for several days and linking the pollution to smoke from fires in Kalimantan carried by prevailing winds.
