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Intelligence Analysis

Southeast Asia Haze: A Snapshot of a Region Under Smoke

22 OCT 2026

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Air Quality and Weather Forecast
Operational Implications
Singapore – September 17, 2026: Air pollution and dense haze obscure the Singapore city skyline around Marina Bay and Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, reducing visibility across the downtown area.

Southern Southeast Asia remains affected by severe, variable haze from fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan. Indonesia’s source provinces face the greatest health, visibility, and transport disruptions. Unhealthy air has extended into Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, and Timor-Leste. The main operational effects are workforce absences, limits on outdoor activity, reduced visibility, and intermittent transport disruptions. Temporary improvement will not indicate that the regional episode has ended.

Air Quality and Weather Forecast

Regional haze risk is likely to remain elevated through late October. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) forecasts drier-than-usual conditions across most of southern ASEAN and warmer-than-usual conditions across most of the wider ASEAN region through October 25. Its October–December outlook indicates that El Niño conditions and below-normal rainfall across much of southern ASEAN are likely to sustain elevated hotspot and smoke-haze activity.   

Operational Implications

  • Most office-based operations are likely to remain open, although poor indoor air quality, employee vulnerability, school closures, and company thresholds may increase absenteeism and flexible work.  

  • Haze-related respiratory, eye, and cardiovascular conditions will increase demand on clinics, emergency departments, pharmacies, and medical assistance providers.  

  • Outdoor and mobile operations face the greatest direct impact, including construction, maintenance, ports, utilities, airport ground operations, events, and app-based delivery.  

  • Poor visibility has caused flight delays, cancellations, diversions, and returns.  

  • Repeated short controls may create backlogs across ports, warehouses, construction sites, utilities, and regional distribution networks. Business disruption will include delays, capacity constraints, and staffing gaps.  

Our full strategic outlook goes deeper with key judgments, official country thresholds, and sector-by-sector operational impacts. It also sets out the escalation triggers that should guide your decisions. If you are a Horizon client, read the full strategic outlook now or download below.

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