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Singapore Shuts Schools as Air Quality Hits Hazardous Level

A pedestrian wearing a face mask uses a smart device at Marina Bay as buildings in the central business district stand shrouded in smog in Singapore. — A pedestrian wearing a face mask uses a smart device at Marina Bay as buildings in the central business district stand shrouded in smog in Singapore.
Photographer: Nicky Loh/Bloomberg

Klaus Wille

September 24, 2015, 2:23 AM UTCUpdated onSeptember 24, 2015, 9:45 PM UTC

Singapore will close its primary and secondary schools today as the haze from Indonesian forest fires pushed air quality into the “hazardous” range for the first time this year, covering the city-state with a layer of smog.

The three-hour pollutant standards index hit 341 as of 5 a.m. Singapore time on Friday, according to the National Environment Agency, the highest level so far in 2015. A reading exceeding 300 is classified as “hazardous,” where the public is advised to minimize outdoor activities.