Slight haze as PSI climbs into moderate
range
Published on Mar 04, 2014
11:45 AM
Singapore experienced slight haze on Tuesday morning, as the Pollutant Standards Index's (PSI) three-hour reading crept
into the moderate range. It stood at 51 as of 11am. -- ST PHOTO: AZIZ HUSSIN
By David Ee
Singapore experienced slight haze on Tuesday morning, as the Pollutant Standards Index's (PSI) three-hour
reading crept into the moderate range. It stood at 51 as of 11am.
Air quality had gradually worsened overnight from a reading of 33 at midnight on Tuesday morning.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) had said in an advisory on Sunday that although prevailing
north-easterly winds would keep haze from Sumatra, Indonesia, away from Singapore for several days,
"occasional slight haze" could occur. This was particularly so in the mornings, as a result of the
accumulation of particulate matter under stable atmospheric conditions.
The Riau province of Sumatra has been shrouded in dense haze over recent days as farmers set fires to
clear land during the dry spell. The NEA detected 70 hotspots in Sumatra on Sunday, and noted that smoke
plumes were visible in Riau.
Singapore is in the midst of one of its longest spells of dry weather in years, with barely any rain over the
past month and a half. Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan had
warned last Friday that the combination of prolonged dry weather and fires would lead "inevitably to an
increase in haze".
The same day, the head of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) station in
Pekanbaru, Indonesia, Mr Sugarin, predicted that north-easterly winds had begun to reverse, increasing the
chances of haze affecting Singapore.
February was the driest month in Singapore
since 1869, says NEA
Published on Mar 04, 2014
5:42 PM
Low water levels seen at MacRitchie Reservoir on Feb 5, 2014. February was Singapore's driest month since 1869, the
National Environment Agency (NEA) said in an advisory on Tuesday, Mar 4, 2014. -- FILE PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
By David Ee
February was Singapore's driest month since 1869, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said in an
advisory on Tuesday.
Just 0.2mm of rain during bone-dry February was recorded at the Changi climate station, which NEA uses
as its reference station. The previous record was the 6.3mm of rain recorded in 2010, also in February,
which is often drier than other months.
There were only seven days of brief showers last month, between Feb 7 and 19, mainly in western
Singapore. Rainfall recorded at all 64 rainfall stations across the island was far below the mean February
rainfall of 161 mm. Half of the stations recorded under 10 mm of rain.
February was also the windiest month in the last 30 years, and one of the least humid, added the NEA.
Average daily wind speeds of 13.3 km/h were recorded at the Changi climate station, exceeding the
previous high of 12.5 km/h recorded in January 1985. The average daily relative humidity of 74.5 per cent
was also the lowest ever, shaving the previous record of 74.6 per cent measured in June last year.
The dry phase of the northeast monsoon, which Singapore is experiencing now, is known for bringing
cooler, windy and dry weather.
NEA also confirmed that the country has officially entered yet another dry spell as of today. According to
the agency's definition, this means that there have been more than 14 straight days with less than 1mm of
rain recorded at its rainfall stations islandwide.
It said the brief showers on Monday afternoon "were not widespread enough to break the current dry spell".
The dry weather is expected to persist in the first half of March, it added, although it predicts localised
showers in the afternoon on a few days. With the expected onset of the inter-monsoon season in the second
half of this month, more rainfall can be expected then, it added.
Jakarta set to ratify haze pact
Draft Bill to be tabled for treaty signed in 2002
Published on Mar 04, 2014
9:13 AM
Indonesia's Parliament is set to agree to ratify a decade-old regional haze treaty, as pollutant levels in parts
of Riau remained hazardous for a second month and thick haze continued to spread across much of
Sumatra.
A parliamentary committee comprising MPs from eight out of the nine parties met Environment Minister
Balthasar Kambuaya and senior officials yesterday, and six of the parties - who make up 363 of the 560
MPs in the House - were in favour of ratifying the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution.
The pact commits member countries to preventing open burning, monitoring prevention efforts, sharing
information, and helping one another in tackling the haze.
A draft Bill on ratification will be tabled before a full session of Parliament, likely after the general
election on April 9.
Jakarta's earlier efforts to get Parliament to ratify the pact, which was signed in 2002, were thwarted by
objections that it infringed on Indonesia's sovereignty.
The issue cropped up again yesterday, with even MPs in favour of ratification saying that the government
had to ensure Indonesian territory was not breached.
Professor Balthasar assured them that sovereignty was a top priority, and the treaty would help Indonesia
tackle the haze better, including by working with other countries.
He also said the government was not under pressure from any foreign country to speed up ratification.
"Our people are the ones that suffer most from every haze incident. Ratifying the pact is also important as
Indonesia must maintain its integrity and credibility in the region," he added.
Parliament's delay in ratifying the pact became a sticking point during last year's haze, which saw pollutant
levels reach record highs in Malaysia and Singapore.
Indonesia is the only Asean country that has yet to ratify the treaty.
Golkar MP Bobby Adhityo Rizaldi said while his party agreed to ratify the pact, it should be on condition
that Indonesian sovereignty not be breached.
"It should also not hurt either the interest of the people or the government when implementing cooperation,
coordination and prevention," he added.
Riau is a Golkar stronghold. Yesterday morning, the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) in one of its major
cities, Dumai - the epicentre of last June's haze - crossed 700.
The two parties that disagreed with ratification were the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the Indonesian
Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P) - although PDI-P chairman Megawati Sukarnoputri was president
when Indonesia signed the treaty in 2002.
PKS MP Asmin Amin said the spirit of the pact was in line with existing Indonesian laws, so ratification
was not necessary. He added that several clauses breached the country's sovereignty.
PDI-P MP Isma Yatun said: "We should not rush it, trying to find justification to ratify the pact. Is there a
guarantee that the haze incident will not recur if we do so?"
She said the central and provincial governments should step up law enforcement instead.
But National Awakening Party (PKB) MP Nur Yasin dismissed her worries, saying that ratification would
show Indonesia was serious in tackling raging forest fires.
"Indonesia can also make use of personnel and equipment within Asean as well as outside Asean," he
added.
wahyudis@sph.com.sg
Haze shrouds Malaysian capital,
surroundings; air quality at 'unhealthy' level
Published on Mar 04, 2014
3:04 PM
A woman wears a face mask as haze start to shrouds Kuala Lumpur on March 4, 2014. -- PHOTO: AFP
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - Haze shrouded Malaysia's capital and its surroundings on Tuesday, causing
"unhealthy" air quality due to fires from a drought that has led to water rationing.
While dry spells are common in the tropical nation, the current two-month heatwave has been unusually
long, sparking bushfires and water supply cuts to more than two million people as reservoirs threaten to
run dry.
The air pollution index rose as high as 150 on Tuesday in seven areas - mostly in Kuala Lumpur and the
central state of Selangor, the country's economic hub which surrounds the capital.
A reading of 100 to 200 means air quality is "unhealthy".
Visibility was lower than 1km in central Malaysia early on Tuesday, where the iconic Petronas Twin
Towers were shrouded in smog that forced city residents to wear face masks.
"The moderate haze the country is experiencing is due to internal sources resulting from land and forest
fires in a few states," the department of environment said in a statement.
Haze in the past has originated in neighbouring Indonesia, where one province declared a state of
emergency last week after being blanketed in thick haze from forest fires.
Last year Malaysia and neighbouring Singapore choked on the worst haze in more than a decade caused by
fires in Indonesia, mainly on Sumatra island due to the slash and burn method of land clearance for
cultivation.
China mulling environmental levies and
nation-wide property tax
Published on Mar 04, 2014
3:55 PM
Buildings are seen shrouded in heavy haze at Qingdao development zone, Shandong province, on Feb 25. The Chinese
government is reviewing proposals for environmental levies and a nation-wide property tax, an official said on Tuesday. -FILE PHOTO: REUTERS
By Grace Ng, China Correspondent In Beijing
The Chinese government is reviewing proposals for environmental levies and a nation-wide property tax,
an official said on Tuesday.
Ms Fu Ying, spokesman for the National People's Congress, China's national parliament also told a press
conference that China is in the process of passing a new environmental protection law, and hopes to
include more of the public's feedback in crafting this legislation to make it more effective.
"While the problem is very serious, it can be seen that we are taking action," she said.
Asked whether Beijing will introduce more forceful measures to control the problem of smog, Ms Fu noted
that Premier Li Keqiang's 10 measures for improving air quality introduced late last year have already seen
results. She did not elaborate.
The national sessions of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), a senate-like
advisory body, began on Monday, followed by those of the National People's Congress (NPC) on
Wednesday, where Mr Li will give his first work report as premier.
The sessions, known as liang hui, or "two meetings", will involve about 2,232 national delegates for the
CPPCC and 2,984 for the NPC, and will end around March 13.
The issue of pollution is top on the agenda as Beijing and other Chinese cities have been shrouded in thick
smog for weeks.
graceng@sph.com.sg
More winter misery as massive storm
wallops Washington
Published on Mar 04, 2014
5:50 AM
A man uses skis to make his way on the national mall during a snow storm in Washington, DC, on March 3, 2014. -PHOTO: AFP
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Another huge winter storm walloped Washington and surrounding areas on
Monday, shutting schools and the federal government, snarling air traffic and blanketing roads in snow.
The bitter March blast was the latest in a succession of miserable weather events that have made this one
of the harshest in recent memory for residents of the US East Coast.
In the capital, in a region that bore the brunt of the fierce system of freezing rain, sleet and blowing snow,
cars and pedestrians were few and far between during the normally bustling lunch hour. Morning
commutes were calm and windswept.
As a precaution, federal government employees were told to stay home and schools in the city and
surrounding counties gave their students yet another snow day off.
Many colleges also closed shop for the day due to the conditions - including Georgetown University,
where only emergency employees were required to report to work on time.
While the city's Metro was running on schedule, riders were scarce and bus service was suspended due to
dangerous road conditions.
The National Weather Service (NWS) said a winter storm warning would remain in effect until 6 pm (3pm
Singapore time) and that four to eight inches (10 to 20 centimeters) of snow were expected.
"Avoid travel unless it is an emergency," it warned. "If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food and
water in your vehicle." With snow due to taper off by mid-afternoon, temperatures were not expected to
rise above 20 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 7 degrees Celsius) with wind gusts of up to 20 miles (32
kilometers) per hour.
Weather woes extended beyond the capital area, with the NWS reporting snow falling from the midAtlantic into the lower Mississippi River Valley.
In Baltimore and Philadelphia city offices opened with a two-hour delay.
The icy rain and snow caused headaches for air travelers, with Washington's Dulles International Airport
tweeting that snowfall there had ended and at nearby Reagan National Airport.
"We are still working to reopen the airfield" at Reagan, it said.
Baltimore's BWI Marshall Airport said its snow removal team "remains hard at work this afternoon as
airlines work to resume flights" which earlier in the day had been "very limited." FlightAware, which
tracks airlines, reported more than 2,700 flight cancelations within, into or out of the United States for
Monday.
Snow shutters museums
Tourists hoping to seek shelter in Washington's many free museums had to largely rethink their plans, with
only the National Air and Space Museum welcoming visitors.
Another favorite for young and old alike, the National Zoo, was also closed for the day.
Despite the unfriendly chill, some Washingtonians - especially those who unexpectedly got a long
weekend - were gearing up for some fun.
A snowball fight at the National Mall, the large esplanade in the heart of the city, was planned for the early
afternoon. A similar event in late January drew more than 200 people, according to local media.
But this season's vicious winter weather took a toll on the car industry, with US car makers General Motors
and Ford reporting chilled sales in February.
Australia to get hotter, bushfire season to last
longer: Study
Published on Mar 04, 2014
11:48 AM
Firefighters battle flames during wildfires in Banjup, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, on Feb 3, 2014. -- FILE PHOTO:
REUTERS
SYDNEY (AFP) - Australia will suffer more days of extreme heat and a longer bushfire season as
greenhouse gases force temperatures to continue rising, a new report warned on Tuesday.
The joint study by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation and the Bureau of
Meteorology said temperatures across Australia were, on average, almost 1 deg C warmer than a century
ago.
Seven of the 10 warmest years on record have occurred since 1998 while over the past 15 years the
frequency of very hot months has increased fivefold, it said.
The scenario was starkly illustrated in 2013, which was Australia's hottest year since records began in 1910
and included a prolonged national heatwave.
Ms Megan Clark, chief executive of the CSIRO, Australia's peak science body, said the country has
warmed in every state and territory and in every season.
"Australia has one of the most variable climates in the world. Against this backdrop, across the decades,
we're continuing to see increasing temperatures, warmer oceans, changes to when and where rain falls and
higher sea levels," Ms Clark said.
"The sea-surface temperatures have warmed by 0.9 deg C since 1900 and greenhouse gas concentrations
continue to rise."
Australia is routinely hit by bushfires during its December-February summer months, with hot windy
conditions again fanning hundreds of blazes this season with dozens of homes destroyed.
The report said it would only get worse.
"A further increase in the number of extreme fire-weather days is expected in southern and eastern
Australia, with a longer fire season in these regions," it said of areas devastated by fires this year.
It also forecast less rainfall in southern Australia and more severe droughts in a grim warning for farmers.
The report, released every two years, added that tropical cyclones were projected to decrease in number but
increase in intensity, while rising seas levels would cause more problems for coastal dwellers.
The report said Australian temperatures could rise by 1 to 2.5 deg C by 2070, compared to 1980 to 1999,
depending on the level of greenhouse gas emissions.
While cutting global emissions would be crucial to preventing the worst global warming has in store, that
alone would not be enough, the agencies warned.
"Adaptation is required because some warming and associated changes are unavoidable," it said.
Dr Neville Nicholls, a professor at the School of Geography & Environmental Science at Monash
University, said Australia was already working to deal with climate change on a practical level.
"Luckily, we have started to adapt to these risks," he said.
"Heat alert systems in many cities across the world, including Australia, are starting to reduce some of the
impacts of severe heat events.
"And governments, fire services, and bureaucrats have worked to improve the way we prepare for and deal
with bushfires; this is an effective climate change adaptation, even if it was not done specifically in
response to the climate-driven increased risk."
Mr Jim Salinger, a climate scientist at the University of Auckland, predicted that the growing heat risks in
Australia would see more people moving to the cooler climate of neighbouring New Zealand.
"With such trends I would expect to see a reverse in migration across the Tasman, with increasing numbers
of Australians coming to New Zealand," he said.
"This is as the climate of continental Australia becomes very harsh."