Wildfire smoke from Indonesia is blanketing parts of Southeast Asia. Singapore recorded its highest pollution reading of the year on Wednesday, with a one-hour PM2.5 level in the west of the island entering the national agency's very high band.
East Timor's government said it is suspending face-to-face learning for three days starting Oct. 15 because of pollutant particles from wildfires in neighbouring regions. Several Malaysian states have also closed schools during the episode.
Indonesia is battling what officials describe as its most intense wildfire season in 11 years, fuelled by El Nino-related dry conditions. In Central Kalimantan, the local air pollution index exceeded 1,200, well above the hazardous threshold of 300, and thick haze cut visibility in Palangka Raya.
Health officials across the region are warning of a rise in respiratory illness. The last comparable Singapore episode, in 2015, pushed readings far higher still, underlining why governments move quickly to limit children's outdoor exposure when haze settles in.
