Expect Windy Conditions on Most Days for Rest of February 2020

Singapore, 14 February 2020 – For the second half of February 2020, the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) forecasts windy conditions on most days. Afternoon thundery showers are also expected, mostly later in the fortnight. The prevailing Northeast Monsoon season in the region is forecast to continue, with low-level winds blowing from the north or northeast.

2          In the early part of the fortnight, an intensification of a high-pressure system over north Asia is forecast to bring a strengthening of winds over the South China Sea region including Singapore. Windy conditions with few passing showers are expected on most days over Singapore. On one or two days during the period, widespread thundery showers are forecast due to the convergence of winds in the surrounding vicinity. In the latter part of the fortnight, with the monsoon rain band forecast to lie close to the equatorial Southeast Asia region, enhanced thunderstorm cloud development can be expected over Singapore. This is forecast to bring short-duration moderate to heavy thundery showers in the afternoon over parts of Singapore on some days. Overall, the rainfall for February 2020 is forecast to be near normal over most parts of the island.

3          The daily temperatures in the second fortnight of February 2020 are forecast to range between 24°C and 33°C on most days. Warm conditions can be expected on a few days with a maximum temperature of around 34°C.

4         For updates of the daily weather and haze situation, please visit the MSS website (www.weather.gov.sg), NEA website (www.nea.gov.sg), or download the myENV app, MSS’ Weather@SG app, and the haze microsite (www.haze.gov.sg).

REVIEW (1 – 13 February 2020)

5          Northeast Monsoon conditions prevailed over Singapore and the surrounding region in the first fortnight of February 2020. The low-level winds during the fortnight blew mostly from the north or northeast.

6          In the first half of February 2020, the monsoon rain band was located south of the Equator, and winds over the South China Sea region were generally strong. These brought windy conditions on most days over Singapore during the fortnight, and in the first week of the month, little or no rain fell over the island. In the second week of February 2020, thundery showers fell over Singapore in the afternoon on most days due to strong solar heating of land areas coupled with convergence of winds in the surrounding vicinity. On 10 February 2020, thundery showers fell over many areas of the island between the late afternoon and evening. The daily total rainfall of 108.8 mm recorded at Tuas that day was the highest daily total rainfall recorded for the first fortnight of February 2020.

7          In the first half of February 2020, the daily maximum temperature ranged between 31.0°C and 34.4°C, and the daily minimum temperature was between 22.8°C and 25.2°C. The highest daily maximum temperature of 34.4°C was recorded on 5 February 2020 at Choa Chu Kang. The lowest daily maximum temperature of 31.0°C was recorded on 11 February 2020 when widespread thundery showers fell over the island from the late morning that day before clearing in the early hours of the following day.

8          About half of the island recorded near-normal rainfall in the first half of February 2020. The rainfall recorded at Choa Chu Kang was 54% below average while that recorded at Ang Mo Kio was 69% above average.

CLIMATE STATION STATISTICS

Long-term Statistics for February
(Climatological reference period: 1981 – 2010)

Historical Extremes for February
(Rainfall since 1869 and temperature since 1929)