SINGAPORE: The National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Monday (Jan 26) that some haze could be transported to Singapore as a result of hotspots from vegetation fires in the north.

This was due to prevailing winds blowing from the north or northeast, authorities said in a Facebook post.

“While a burning odor may be noticeable, it does not always result in a significant change in air quality measurements,” it added.

As of 10 p.m., the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) was in the good to moderate range of 43 to 56. Readings after 1 hour ranged from 45 to 53.

The NEA said it was closely monitoring the situation.

Netizens have been complaining on social media about the burning smell in some parts of Singapore for the past few days, with at least three new threads posted on Reddit on Monday.

Some people said the smell irritated their noses and throats.

of 24 hours PSI Calculated based on six air pollutants: PM2.5, PM10, ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide.

It was developed as an index of Singapore’s daily air quality and is the measurement on which the NEA’s daily health advisories are based.

On Saturday night, the NEA said in a Facebook post that PM2.5 levels in eastern Singapore had “slightly increased”, referring to respirable particles up to 2.5 micrometers in diameter in the air.

The report noted that some residents had complained of a faint burning smell, adding that this was likely due to hotspots and smoke plumes detected in Johor state, near Singapore.