Singapore and Malaysia Haze: What to Do

By Cheapsly Writer · Published · Updated

Singapore and Malaysia Haze: Where It Stands

Smoke haze from peatland and forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan, Indonesia, hung over Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia from early October 2026 and has now eased. Singapore’s 24-hour PSI was unhealthy from 5 October, its longest such stretch on record, longer than the 14 days of the 2015 crisis (Straits Times via The Star, 22 October), and peaked at 230 on 18 October. In every NEA update we checked from 26 October to 1 November the 24-hour PSI was in the Moderate band, and it read 71 to 89 at 5pm on 1 November.

Changi and Seletar stayed open throughout, though some flights were diverted or cancelled, and Firefly planned to resume Subang to Seletar on 22 October. In Malaysia, 16 areas were unhealthy at 8am on 22 October, down from 30 on 20 October. No area was unhealthy on 30 October or at 3pm on 2 November, and DOE expects the Northeast Monsoon to cut the haze further. Hotspots are still being detected, so check readings on the day.

Background: What Causes the Haze and Why Now

The smoke comes from peatland and forest fires in Indonesia. Indonesia’s weather agency BMKG blamed a strong El Nino drought and said fires still need an ignition source such as human activity (ABC, 4 September). Dried-out peat can smolder underground, which makes the fires hard to put out (IQAir, 1 October). Dry conditions over southern Kalimantan and southern and central Sumatra kept supplying smoke into late October (NEA, 20 to 21 October).

The wind decides who gets the smoke. NEA’s updates describe southeasterly winds pushing Kalimantan smoke toward Singapore, with Sumatra smoke arriving when winds turn southerly or southwesterly.

Timeline: How the Haze Unfolded

Haze starts

Singapore’s 24-hour PSI entered the unhealthy range on 5 October, and Malaysia’s DOE reported unhealthy readings in Johor and Sarawak from early October (four areas on 3 October, 38 areas on 8 October with Segamat highest at 187, per Malay Mail). On 8 October Senai airport in Johor had diversions to KLIA and Changi. On 9 October Singapore’s central region reached a 2026 high of 186 (The Star), and Malaysian schools in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and six states closed from that day (Al Jazeera). By 15 October 34 of 68 Malaysian stations were unhealthy, peaking at 192.

The worst Singapore readings came in mid-October. The highest hourly PM2.5 of the season was 288 in the west at 3pm on 14 October. NEA recorded a 24-hour PSI of 159 to 222 at 8pm on 16 October, and the season-high 24-hour PSI of 230 (Very Unhealthy) came at 10am on 18 October in the west, confirmed by the Straits Times from NEA data.

Travel impacted

  • Flights. CAAS and Changi Airport Group said on 13 October that both Changi and Seletar remained operational, that 16 Seletar flights were diverted between 5 and 11 October for low visibility, and that some airlines had adjusted or cancelled flights. A 2013 CAAS statement said Changi’s landing limit is runway visibility, not PSI. We found no report of a Changi closure. Firefly cancelled Subang to Seletar flights from 10 October and extended the cancellations several times, through 19 to 21 October for some flights.
  • Outdoor events. ActiveSG closed outdoor and non-air-conditioned sports facilities in central Singapore and parts of the east on 15 October, and the ISCA Run at Gardens by the Bay on 17 October was cancelled (The Online Citizen). Grand Prix organizers’ haze plan for 9 to 11 October included medics and N95 masks on site; see our Singapore Grand Prix guide.
  • Attractions. We found no source on which paid attractions have closed, so check each one on the day. Our guide to Singapore sights covers indoor picks like the Gardens by the Bay conservatories.
  • Schools. Malaysia’s Education Ministry closes schools by area reading (the rule reported on 8 October was an index above 180). As of 13 October Johor and Melaka schools were still shut, and all Johor schools reopened on 26 October after five days of falling readings (The Star, 24 October). Singapore’s MOE kept schools open and national exams on track on 16 October, and would consider closures on a hazardous forecast.
  • Health advisories. NEA advised healthy people to reduce prolonged or strenuous outdoor exertion whenever the forecast was Unhealthy, and Environment Minister Grace Fu warned on 16 October that readings could pass 300 (Hazardous). Mask shortages were reported on 15 October.

Singapore’s PSI and Malaysia’s API use the same five bands. The advice below is NEA’s for the 24-hour PSI, used to plan a day. For the next hour, check the hourly PM2.5 reading, which can spike while the PSI looks fine.

PSI or API band NEA advice for healthy people What to do on a trip
Good (0 to 50) Normal activities Nothing to change.
Moderate (51 to 100) Normal activities Nothing to change.
Unhealthy (101 to 200) Reduce prolonged or strenuous outdoor exertion. Children, the elderly and pregnant women minimise it; those with chronic lung or heart disease avoid it. Keep the trip, but swap long outdoor days for short stops and indoor sights. Skip runs and cycling tours.
Very Unhealthy (201 to 300) Avoid prolonged or strenuous outdoor exertion. Vulnerable groups minimise or avoid outdoor activity. Plan an indoor day and expect outdoor facilities to close. If you are in a vulnerable group, decide with your doctor whether to travel.
Hazardous (301 and above) Minimise outdoor activity. Vulnerable groups avoid it. Stay indoors and check flights before leaving. Delay a non-essential arrival if your terms allow.

Response

  • NEA. Issues evening Haze Situation Updates with 24-hour PSI, hourly PM2.5, a next-day forecast and a wind outlook. It said shops may run out of masks.
  • Governments. Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower issued guidance on 20 October for adjusting outdoor work by hourly PM2.5 (Malay Mail). Malaysia’s Education Ministry set area-based school closures. Free masks were reportedly for vulnerable residents and Singaporeans, and MOH describes the haze medical subsidy as for Singaporeans.
  • ASEAN. The ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) activated Alert Level 3 for the Southern ASEAN region on 26 August and downgraded it to Alert Level 2 on 29 October.
  • Airlines. Firefly offered rebooking on Malaysia Airlines flights between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, subject to seats, or a full refund to the original payment method within 30 working days. On 20 October it said it planned to resume all Subang to Seletar flights on 22 October, subject to operational conditions. We found no airline-wide waiver for Singapore or Kuala Lumpur flights.

Where it stands now

Singapore’s air has been in the Moderate band since 26 October. Sumatra smoke drifted in on 24 October and NEA read a 24-hour PSI of 108 to 151 (Unhealthy) at 5pm, then 91 to 107 at 7pm on 25 October. After that NEA read 67 to 74 on 26 October, 66 to 78 on 28 October, 56 to 60 on 30 October and 58 to 75 on 31 October, with hourly PM2.5 in Band 1 (Normal) each time. The 5pm reading on 1 November rose to 71 to 89, still Moderate, with PM2.5 at 15 to 41. NEA forecast 51 to 80 for 2 November and said showers and east or southeasterly winds on Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 November should keep the haze suppressed. It saw moderate to dense smoke only over Kalimantan, and cloud cover limited the assessment.

Malaysia improved in step. At the morning count on 28 October no area was unhealthy, with 24 good and 44 moderate and Batu Muda in Kuala Lumpur highest at 85 (Bernama). On 30 October 27 areas were good and 41 moderate, again with none unhealthy, and Batu Muda was highest at 82. At 3pm on 2 November 29 areas were good and 39 moderate, and no station was unhealthy or worse. DOE’s deputy director-general Azuri Azizah Saedon said fire hotspots are still detected in several parts of Southeast Asia, and that shifting winds from the monsoon transition and the start of the Northeast Monsoon are expected to help reduce the haze reaching Peninsular Malaysia from Sumatra (The Star, 2 November). The earlier peak was 192 on 15 October, and 16 areas were still unhealthy on 22 October, led by Nilai at 162.

Seasonal relief is close. Environment Minister Grace Fu said on 16 October that once northeast monsoon winds arrive around early December, haze will blow away from Singapore (Straits Times via The Star). NEA’s 2025 outlook expected the northeast monsoon to set in around the end of November and noted that it typically runs to March. That is a seasonal pattern, not a forecast for your dates.

How This Impacts Travelers

Plan by band. Use the table above: at Unhealthy, keep the trip and move outdoor plans indoors; at Very Unhealthy or worse, rethink non-essential arrivals. If you are elderly, pregnant, traveling with young children or have a heart or lung condition, ask your doctor before you go.

Masks. Singapore’s health ministry says N95 masks are not needed for commuting from home to school or work, and HealthHub says normal surgical masks do not filter fine particles well. HealthHub suggests an N95 for prolonged outdoor time when the forecast PSI is above 300 for healthy people, or above 200 for people with chronic lung or heart disease. Shops may run out, so bring your own.

Flights. Check your airline app on the day. Changi’s limit is visibility, so diversions track smoke density rather than the PSI figure. For flying in, see flights into Singapore from your region and the Changi arrival steps.

Insurance and rebooking. Look at your fare’s change and refund terms, your hotel’s free-cancellation deadline (compare Singapore hotels by area if you need to rebook), and your insurance wording on air pollution, smoke and events already public when you bought. Policies differ. Check how your insurance treats a clinic visit, since the haze subsidy is for Singaporeans. If the forecast is Very Unhealthy or worse close to your dates, that is the moment to ask about changes. With NEA readings in the Moderate band from 26 October to 1 November and no unhealthy area in Malaysia on 30 October or 2 November, trips from now look better than early October, but one wind shift can bring smoke back. Our Singapore travel guide covers the rest of the year.

Check live.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to travel to Singapore with the haze?

Air quality has improved: NEA read a 24-hour PSI of 71 to 89 (Moderate) at 5pm on 1 November and forecast 51 to 80 for 2 November, and every update we checked since 26 October was Moderate. NEA advises healthy people to reduce prolonged or strenuous outdoor exertion whenever the level is Unhealthy. We found no report of an airport closure. If you are elderly, pregnant, traveling with young children or have a heart or lung condition, ask your doctor first.

Should I cancel my Singapore or Malaysia trip because of the haze?

Check your own bookings first. We found no airline-wide waiver for Singapore or Kuala Lumpur flights, so your fare rules, hotel cancellation deadline and insurance wording decide what you can change.

Do I need an N95 mask in Singapore?

Singapore's health ministry says N95 masks are not needed for commuting, and HealthHub says normal surgical masks do not filter fine particles well. HealthHub suggests an N95 for prolonged outdoor time when the forecast PSI is above 300 for healthy people, or above 200 for people with chronic lung or heart disease. Ask a doctor if you are unsure.

When will the Singapore haze end?

It has largely eased: Singapore has been in the Moderate band since 26 October, and at 3pm on 2 November Malaysia had no unhealthy area. DOE expects the Northeast Monsoon transition to reduce haze from Sumatra further, and fires are still being detected, so a wind shift can bring smoke back. Seasonally, Minister Grace Fu said on 16 October that northeast monsoon winds around early December should blow haze away from Singapore, and NEA's 2025 outlook put the monsoon onset around the end of November. That is a seasonal pattern, so check the PSI.

Will flights to Singapore or Malaysia be cancelled by the haze?

Changi and Seletar remained operational on 13 October, but 16 Seletar flights were diverted between 5 and 11 October and Senai in Johor had diversions on 8 October. Firefly cancelled Subang to Seletar flights from 10 October and planned to resume them on 22 October. Check your airline app.

Sources for This Haze Update

Prices and practical details on this page are approximate and may have changed. Verify with the venue or booking platform before your visit.

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