Haze in Singapore soared to hazardous levels again on Thursday, prompting government health warnings.

At 13:00 local time (05:00GMT) Singapore's pollution standards index (PSI) reached 371, breaking all previous records.

The haze is caused by illegal forest fires in Indonesia's Sumatra island.

Singaporeans have been warned to stay indoors where possible

Air traffic controllers in Singapore have been told to work with extra caution given the poor visibility, while McDonald's has temporarily cancelled its delivery service.

The Singaporean military has also reportedly suspended all outdoor training.

Parts of Malaysia have also recorded "hazardous" pollution levels, with over 200 schools in the country's south ordered to shut.

Malaysia's Department of Environment has also banned open burning in some states.

In 1997 and 1998, many countries in the region were affected by the South East Asian haze, which was caused by smog from Indonesian fires.

Road and air traffic was disrupted, and reports said the smog made around 20 million people ill.

The haze led to an agreement on transboundary haze pollution being approved by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in 2002.

(Source: BBC)