While New Zealand receives a hammering from the worst ever storms in 45 years, here in Singapore we receive a hammering from the worst ever storm of a different kind.  A storm of smoke caused by humankind has enveloped the tiny Island in a thick pall known as the ‘Haze’.

Haze is caused apparently by Palm Oil Plantations in Sumatra Indonesia burning off land for clearance.  We are all very much hoping for wind and rain to clear the problem up.  The National Environmental Agency in Singapore monitors the haze and publishes a regular PSI reading (Pollutants Standard Index).

Yesterday on June 20 the reading stood at 371 – as you can see from the scale below this puts it in the hazardous level.  Today we woke up and it looks even worse than yesterday.  To really get a feeling for what its like take a look at the following short video I made showing the view from our apartment before the Haze and during the Haze this morning.

The PSI scale from NEA website.