Wildfires drive Singapore pollution spike, East Timor school closure

Indonesian wildfires are sending haze across Southeast Asia, with Singapore recording its highest western-area PM2.5 reading since 2015 and East Timor suspending in-person classes nationwide for three days. Singapore’s National Environment Agency reported 288 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic metre in the west on Wednesday, October 14. The agency classified the level as very high, the country’s top category. The reading was the highest since 2015, according to reports citing the agency. On October 15, a live air-quality dashboard showed Singapore’s air quality index at 287, with PM2.5 at 116 micrograms per cubic metre. Delhi’s Central Pollution Control Board recorded an AQI of 165 at 9 a.m. that day. The figures reflect different monitoring systems and observation times, so they are snapshots rather than a direct, simultaneous comparison. East Timor’s government said it was suspending face-to-face learning nationwide for three days beginning October 15. It attributed the measure to pollution from wildfires in neighboring regions or countries and described the closure as preventive. The government urged families to keep children indoors and use respiratory protection outdoors.