9 Oct 2023 saw the highest temperature ever recorded in the month of October at 36.3 degree Celsius
Singapore, 16 October 2023 – More showers are expected for the rest of October 2023 compared to the first half of the month, which may bring some respite to the warm weather.
2 Thundery showers are expected on most days in the coming fortnight. Afternoon thundery showers are expected this week, extending into the evening on a few days. In the second half of the fortnight, short-duration thundery showers may occur over parts of the island in the late morning and afternoon. On the whole, we expect above average rainfall in the second half of October 2023.
3 With showers expected on most days, temperatures are likely to be lower compared to the first half of the month. Daily maximum temperatures are expected to range between 33 degrees Celsius and 34 degrees Celsius on most days.
4 More showers are also forecast for the southern Southeast Asia region in the coming fortnight, which may bring some improvement to the haze situation and reduce the likelihood of transboundary haze affecting Singapore. The chance of the 24-hr PSI reaching the unhealthy range in Singapore is low for the coming fortnight.
5 For updates of the daily weather forecast and PSI readings, please visit the MSS website (www.weather.gov.sg), NEA website (www.nea.gov.sg), or download the myENV app.
REVIEW OF THE PAST TWO WEEKS (1 – 15 October 2023)
6 Southwest Monsoon conditions prevailed over Singapore and the surrounding region in the first half of October 2023, with low-level winds blowing mostly from the southeast or southwest.
7 The first half of October 2023 was dry and warm, except for a few days when brief showers fell over Singapore. These conditions were due to suppressed rain cloud formation arising from a dry air mass moving over the surrounding region.
8 On 7 and 8 of October 2023, smoke haze from forest fires in central and southern Sumatra were blown by prevailing winds to Singapore. This resulted in hazy conditions with the air quality deteriorating into the Unhealthy range over parts of the island. The highest 24-hour PSI of 123 was recorded in the eastern part of Singapore between 8 and 9 pm on 7 October 2023.
9 In the first two weeks of October 2023, maximum temperatures rose above 34 degrees Celsius on most days. On 9 October 2023, temperatures exceeded 35 degrees Celsius in several parts of Singapore, with 36.3 degrees Celsius recorded at Admiralty. This is the highest temperature ever recorded in Singapore in the month of October, surpassing the previous record high of 35.7 degrees Celsius recorded on 14 October 2001 and 13 October 2019.
10 Well-below-average rainfall was recorded across the island in the first half of October 2023. The highest anomaly of 100 per cent below-average was recorded at Paya Lebar.
CLIMATE STATION STATISTICS
Long-term Statistics for October
(Climatological reference period: 1991 – 2020)
| Average daily maximum temperature: | 31.8 °C |
| Average daily minimum temperature: | 25.0 °C |
| Average monthly temperature: | 27.9 °C |
| Average rainfall: | 168.3 mm |
| Average number of rain days: | 15 |
Historical Extremes for October
(Rainfall since 1869 and temperature since 1929)
| Highest monthly mean daily maximum temperature: | 33.0°C (2002) |
| Lowest monthly mean daily minimum temperature: | 22.8 °C (1964) |
| Highest monthly rainfall ever recorded: | 497.1 mm (1947) |
| Lowest monthly rainfall ever recorded: | 10.8 mm (2002) |