Some years it comes, and some years it does not. But, drifting up and across the Strait of Malacca, it can hang in the air for weeks on end over cities such as Singapore and Kuala Lumpur – regional economic hubs that host two of the world’s busiest airports.
Southeast Asia’s haze is on the way back and this year’s event is expected to be “severe”, according to the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA), which has been tracking the region’s haze disruptions for almost a decade.
August and September are projected to be the worst months and in turn the worst time of the year to visit, with air turning eye-wateringly and lung-cloggingly unpleasant.
Singapore’s Ministry of Health is telling visitors to expect “irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat” during the haze. And while effects can vary depending on a person’s overall health, anyone out and about for extended periods of time should wear an N95 mask.
While much of the region is seeing daily downpours, a dry spell is expected later in the year due to the combination of an imminent El Nino and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole, a climate phenomenon marked by warmer-than-usual sea surface temperatures.