[ad_1]
SINGAPORE: Temperatures fell to a low of 21.3 ° C on Saturday (Jan 2) as cool, rainy weather from a rising monsoon continued from Friday, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said.
In a Facebook post, NEA said widespread continued rains and some heavy rain was expected on Saturday before subsiding overnight.
Similar conditions are also anticipated for the next few days.
At noon on Saturday, the highest rainfall of 184.4mm was recorded in Changi, and mercury fell to a low of 21.3 ° C in Newton.
Two men sharing an umbrella near Sengkang Sports Center on January 2, 2021 (Photo: Lydia Lam)
Pedestrians with umbrellas in Tampines on January 2, 2021 (Photo: Matthew Mohan)
READ: Torrential rains expected in the first half of January 2021: Met Service
On New Year’s Day, Simei recorded the most rainfall with 147.3mm, while the lowest temperature was 21.2 ° C, also in Newton.
“This is the first appearance of monsoon storm surge in the current northeast monsoon season,” NEA said.
It refers to a strengthening of the winds over the South China Sea, causing the formation of large rain clouds over the surrounding region.
Typically, there are two or three surge occurrences during the season, NEA said.
“The relatively low temperatures experienced today are mainly due to cold air masses associated with monsoon surges,” said Dr. Matthias Roth, Professor of Urban Climatology at the National University of Singapore.
An additional factor is the reduction in incoming solar radiation, as extensive and sustained cloud cover prevents the sun from heating the air near the ground, he said.
However, the prolonged rains should disappear once the dry phase hits in February, added Dr. Roth.
“Weak La Niña conditions are forecast to last through May and may result in slightly above-average rainfall,” he said.
“From then on, conditions should return to normal for the rest of the year.”
Rain on Orchard Road on January 2, 2021 (Photo: Gabrielle Andres)
People holding an umbrella near Sengkang Sports Center on January 2, 2021 (Photo: Lydia Lam)
According to a weather advisory from the Singapore Weather Service on Thursday, moderate stormy rains and windy conditions are expected in the afternoon of the first two weeks of 2021.
In a few days, the large-scale convergence of winds in the region could bring heavy and widespread torrential rains over the country.
The unusually colder conditions can be attributed to both man-made climate change and a “natural stretch of bad luck,” says Professor Benjamin P Horton, director of the Singapore Earth Observatory at Nanyang Technological University.
“The predicted climate change will significantly increase water-related risks, especially increasingly frequent and intense extreme rainfall events,” he said.
“The Earth is warming, with much more moisture in the atmosphere. As the atmosphere warms, it can retain more moisture. The intensity of downpours (and thus the risk of flooding) depends in part on the amount of water the air can hold at any given time. “
The highest recorded daily total precipitation and the lowest temperature recorded for the month of January in the last 10 years was 238.2 mm in Pulau Ubin on January 30, 2011 and 20.1 ° C in Tengah on January 31 2014.
