SINGAPORE: Singapore is ready to activate its response plans if transboundary haze affects the country’s air quality, Sustainability and Environment Minister Grace Fu said on Wednesday (Aug 5) after an ASEAN monitoring centre raised the alert level for the region. The ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) on Monday raised the alert to Level 2, the second-highest level, signalling an increasing risk of transboundary haze in the region. ALERT LEVEL 2The southern ASEAN region has entered its dry season. Conditions this year are expected to be warmer and drier due to El Niño, increasing the risk of fires and the possibility of transboundary haze. A Level 2 alert also indicates escalating hotspot activities, with moderate to dense smoke haze observed over two or more consecutive days.