Haze Day Dry weather and El Niño: why haze years happen
Hazy years follow dry years. El Niño and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole reduce rainfall over Indonesia, which dries peat and forest so fires spread easily and are hard to put out.
Live data (Singapore's point of view)
- Status
- Live data temporarily unavailable
'Upwind' is a wind-direction heuristic: it says transport is likely, not proven, and is not a smoke-trajectory model.
See the source data
- Open the haze map (PM2.5, fires, wind)
- haze.gov.sg regional haze situation and outlook — original site
- ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) — original site
- NOAA Climate Prediction Center: ENSO diagnostic discussion
What is different about 2026
Reports describe the 2026–2027 El Niño as very strong and coinciding with a positive Indian Ocean Dipole, which is why dry conditions are expected to continue into the coming weeks. These are climate outlooks, not a forecast for any single day.
What it means for you
Expect the risk of haze to stay elevated until reliable rain returns. Day to day, the wind direction and showers decide how bad it is in your place.
Related questions
Other causes
Fires in central Sumatra (Riau and Jambi) and Singapore's haze · Fires in South Sumatra and Singapore's haze · Fires in Kalimantan and Singapore's haze · How wind carries smoke to Singapore · Why peat fires make such dense haze · Does rain clear haze? What showers can and cannot do
Sources
- haze.gov.sg regional haze situation and outlook — NEA, drawing on the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre · official site
- ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) — ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre, hosted by the Meteorological Service Singapore · official site