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SINGAPORE – Sweater weather continued through the second day of the new year in Singapore, with wet and windy conditions on Saturday (January 2).
The National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Facebook that continued widespread rain, sometimes heavy and with thunder, was expected to continue on Saturday and gradually subside into the night.
He later added that while the rain was scheduled to clear overnight, torrential rains are likely Sunday afternoon after a cloudy morning.
The wet weather has been so persistent that the 318.6 mm of rain that fell in Changi on Friday, the first day of this year, exceeded the 238.3 mm average in January, the national water agency PUB said on Saturday on Facebook. .
On Saturday, the heaviest 210.6mm rain was also recorded in Changi between 12am and 7pm.
Earlier on Saturday, when the figure was 184.4mm, PUB said the amount was more than half of Singapore’s average monthly rainfall in January and was within the top 1% of daily maximum rainfall records during the last 39 years.
The agency sent its officers to help Singaporeans deal with the risk of flooding from the rain.
“PUB rapid response teams were deployed to direct traffic and provide assistance to residents in the (affected) areas … to protect them from the risk of flooding,” he said.
For example, officers helped Mountbatten and Jalan Seaview residents install inflatable flood bags to protect their homes.
The lowest temperature on record Saturday, at 7 p.m., was 21.1 degrees C in Newton, NEA said.
This was lower than initially forecast last Thursday by the Singapore Meteorological Service (MSS), which predicted an average temperature of 23 ° C to 33 ° C during the first two weeks of January, falling to lows of 22 ° C in some days.
For some people, the colder weather was a relief. Investment analyst Law Kai Tsi, 33, said it was “unusually cold” in Novena.
“Usually we sweat like pigs in a blanket so it’s nice to occasionally experience temperatures below 22 degrees C. This is really the closest to autumn weather one can get in Singapore, so I’m going to take advantage of the chance to put on a sweater and go outside, “Law said.
Meanwhile, Ms Norashikin Imran, 42, said she had noticed a rise in water levels in Singapore and was concerned that flash floods could occur if the rain persisted.
“It’s nice to be able to wear jackets outside, but I hope the gutters don’t overflow and the property doesn’t get damaged. That wouldn’t be a great start to the new year,” he said.
Others had their weekend plans interrupted by the downpour on the island, while the humid weather caused flooding in some places.
Chinese daily Lianhe Wanbao said that on New Year’s Day cars were stranded in flash floods at Lorong Halus in Pasir Ris.
Separately, photos and videos circulating on social media showed a downed tree near Loyang Avenue blocking two lanes of traffic.
Associate Professor of Science, Technology and Society Winston Chow from the Singapore Management University School of Social Sciences projected that the record for the highest total precipitation in a day for January could also be broken on Saturday.
“Since the monsoon surge is not expected to cease until Sunday, this record is likely to be broken with time to spare,” he said in a tweet Saturday morning.
The surge refers to a strengthening of the winds over the South China Sea, causing extensive rain clouds to form over the surrounding region.
Professor Chow said that monsoon surges are typical during this season, and that Southeast Asia, which is now in a La Niña phase, could cause more precipitation than normal.
The La Niña weather phenomenon occurs when trade winds intensify, causing changes in atmospheric pressure and sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean. This concentrates the moisture supply around the maritime continent, causing more rain clouds to form.
ST reported that La Niña conditions were detected in Singapore last November. This means that wetter conditions could become more frequent not only this month, but also next month and March.
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NEA said this is the first increase in the current northeast monsoon season.
“Usually there are two or three waves during the season,” he added.
There will also be heavy and widespread torrential rains on the island in a couple of days.
This article was first published in The times of the strait. Permission is required for reproduction.
