Showing posts with label Haze in Singapore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Haze in Singapore. Show all posts

Saturday 12 September 2015

General Election 2015

Yesterday was the polling day for Singapore's General Election 2015. Ardon and I were glad that the haze condition was not too bad then. 

This was the first time Sample Counts were released to the public (around 9.30 pm to about 11.30 pm) before the actual results of the General Election were officially announced. The Sample Count was performed at the start of the counting process for each electoral division to get an early indication of the possible electoral outcome. This was released once for each electoral division. 

It was meant to help prevent speculation and misinformation from unofficial sources while counting was underway, before counting was completed and the election results were announced. A Sample Count also helped election officials check against the election result for each electoral division. 

The official election results of Sengkang West was the first to be announced at about 11.30 pm. All the results were announced by 2.30 am with the exception of Aljunied GRC. There was a request to recount the votes because the difference in percentages of the votes was less than 2 percent. I was too tired to wait for the results and went to sleep at about 3 am. This morning, I checked the news and realized that the result for Aljunied GRC was announced at 3.15 am. The Workers' Party won by a 1.9% margin.

We found the Sample Count was quite accurate. It was stated that it had a confidence of 95% with an error of plus or minus 4%. Based on the Sample Count, PAP was likely to win in all constituencies except Hougang SMCs and Aljunied GRCs. This tallied with the final results of the General Election. There was only a slight difference in the percentages of votes cast in favour of each parties. 

Today, the haze is back again with a 3 hour PSI of more than 100. There was a burnt smell in the air :(. Looks like yesterday was indeed a good day for holding the General Election - less haze and no rain :).


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Monday 24 June 2013

Haze in Singapore - Part 2

We were really glad that the PSI remained below 100 for the whole of yesterday afternoon and evening.  We were able to visit my parents and go to our place of worship. 

In the evening, we went out for dinner. After that, we went to Cold Storage supermarket for grocery shopping. There were news reports on Friday that said that the N95 masks and surgical masks were out of stocks at many places. Since we were at Cold Storage, I thought we could buy some masks if they had stock.

We had been advised that the N95 masks are the most effective for protection against the haze, which is predominantly made up of fine particles. However, I did not see any N95 masks at Cold Storage. Instead, I saw many cartons of surgical masks. These masks were sold in boxes of 50 pieces and cost $12.90. 

We thought the surgical masks would be sufficient for us. We bought one box of the masks just in case we needed to walk outside for 15 to 20 minutes when the PSI level is very high. This was mainly to cover our nose so that we need not suffer from breathing in the burning smell, not so much for protection against the haze particles. We were also concerned that wearing an N95 mask would be very uncomfortable and cause breathing difficulties. N95 masks were not certified for children, so children were advised to minimise outdoor activities when the PSI level is very high. Click here for details. So, it makes sense for us to just get the surgical masks since we were more concerned about the smoky smell. The children can also wear these surgical masks too.

I watched the 11 pm news on Channel U last night.  Pregnant women were advised to wear the N95 mask for not more than 20 minutes. 

Sunday 23 June 2013

Haze in Singapore - Part 1

For the past few days, Singapore was hit by haze resulting from forest fire in Sumatra Indonesia with the PSI (Pollution Standard Index) hitting as high as 400 on 21 Jun 13. This was hazardous level.  Ardon and I happened to go out on that day.  I had to wear sunglass so that my eyes would not be hurt by the smoke.  We did not wear an N95 mask because we did not have one.  Luckily, none of us fall sick.

With the PSI at such high levels for days, we had no choice but to close all the windows and doors.  We tried to switch on the air-conditioner only when the heat was too unbearable because we did not want to incur a high electricity bill. We also did not want the air-conditioners to get damaged from overuse. Luckily we also had two water based air-purifiers that we could use to clean the air in our home and get rid of the smoky smell indoor.

We were so happy yesterday to see that the PSI had fallen to below 100.  However, we were warned by the news caster that this was temporary.  

I wanted to bring the kids to some places this June holiday but we could not go anywhere outdoor because of the haze.  We can only go to shopping malls and other indoor places.  Clothes that were hung outside to dry also had a burnt smell.  Very fed up too.