Rainwater in Singapore Turns Grey: Here’s Why

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia — Troubling reports have emerged from neighbouring Singapore, where rain falling amid haze has appeared cloudy and grey, raising residents’ concerns that high levels of air pollution are being carried to the ground. The report was published on Friday, 16 October 2026.

Heavy rain fell in Singapore on Thursday morning, 15 October 2026. Residents had hoped it would clear the air, but water collected in buckets was dark and murky. A resident in the Ang Mo Kio area said all three buckets he had put out filled with blackish-grey water. Videos shared on social media also showed containers of dark, cloudy rainwater, while another resident said the water in a home fish pond had changed to a similar colour.

AsiaOne reported on 15 October that raindrops can draw pollution particles out of the air as they fall. But because haze contains smoke and very fine pollution particles, rain may not wash them all away quickly, leaving the water murky.

Singapore’s air quality had already reached the ‘very unhealthy’ category. The Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) hit 203 in the west of the country on Wednesday, 14 October. Although conditions improved slightly, pollution levels rose again on Thursday afternoon, reaching 205 micrograms per cubic metre in the central region.

The effects have already been felt. Government-run outdoor sports facilities were temporarily closed as a precaution, and eligible residents were entitled to collect one pair of N95 masks each for free. In the comments on the social media post, one resident wrote: ‘I feel sorry for our lungs right now.’

According to the same report, as in previous episodes, the haze affecting Singapore and parts of South-east Asia originates from forest and land fires in Indonesia. Winds carry the smoke across borders, reducing air quality in neighbouring countries.