Short-duration thundery showers on most days
Advisory
Singapore, 16 May 2016 – Inter-monsoon conditions are expected to prevail in the second half of May 2016. During the period, the prevailing light and variable low level winds are forecast to gradually strengthen to blow from the southeast or south-southwest.
2 In the next fortnight, Singapore is likely to experience short-duration thundery showers mostly in the late morning and afternoon on six to eight days. In addition, thundery showers with gusty winds due to Sumatra squalls can be expected in the morning on one or two days. The rainfall for May 2016 is expected to be average.
3 The warm conditions experienced in the first fortnight of May 2016 can still be expected on a few days in the second half of May 2016. However, the temperatures are not likely to be as high as that experienced in the first fortnight of the month due to the expected occurrence of showers on most days. For the rest of May 2016, the daily maximum temperatures are forecast to range between 33°C and 34°C on most days and could reach a high of around 35°C on a few days.
Review: 1 – 15 May 2016
4 Inter-monsoon conditions prevailed in first fortnight of May 2016. During the period, the prevailing low level winds were generally light and variable in direction.
5 During the review period, the first eleven days were generally warm where the highest daily maximum temperature ranged between 35°C and 36.1°C, with the highest temperature recorded at Seletar on 6 May 2016. As of 15 May 2016, the daily mean temperature recorded at the Changi climate station was 29.6°C, which is 1.3°C above the long-term mean for May.
6 The showers that fell over parts of the island in the afternoon on most days during the first fortnight of May 2016 were due to strong heating of land areas coupled with the convergence of winds over Singapore. The thundery showers on 11 May 2016 were particularly heavy with the highest daily rainfall of 99.8mm recorded. For the past four days, the showers that fell over many parts of the island brought some relief to the warm conditions, and the highest daily maximum temperature ranged between 31.8°C and 34.7°C.
7 About two-thirds of Singapore received above average rainfall in the first fortnight of May 2016. The highest rainfall of 192.4mm (83% above average) was recorded around Bukit Panjang. Rainfall was lowest around Changi where 25.8mm (67% below average) was recorded.
CLIMATE STATION STATISTICS FOR MAY (Climatological reference period: 1981 – 2010)
| Mean daily maximum temperature | 32.2 °C |
| Mean daily minimum temperature | 25.4 °C |
| Mean monthly temperature | 28.3 °C |
| Mean rainfall for the month | 171.2 mm |
| Mean number of rain days | 14 |
| Highest monthly mean daily maximum temperature | 33.6 °C (1997) |
| Lowest monthlymean daily minimum temperature | 24.5 °C (1981,1982,1984,1989) |
| Highest monthly rainfall | 370.8 mm (1998) |
| Lowest monthly rainfall | 41.6 mm (1997) |