Singapore, 18 December 2013 – Singapore has been experiencing Northeast Monsoon conditions since the onset of the Northeast Monsoon season in the region in late-November 2013. In the past weeks, short-duration thundery showers affected Singapore mostly in the afternoon and early evening. As of 17 December, the wettest areas were in the northeast with rainfall of around 85 to 98% of the long-term monthly average. The driest parts of the island were in the south and west where 30 to 40% of the long-term monthly average rainfall was recorded. Overall rainfall for December 2013 is expected to be around 10 – 30% above average.
2According to the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS), a steady strengthening of winds over the South China Sea known as a monsoon surge, is expected to affect the region over the next few days. The surge is likely to bring intermittent rain, heavy at times, with occasional windy conditions to Singapore on one to two days between 19 and 22 December 2013. High tides of 3.1m are expected during this period.
| Date | High Tide |
| 19 December 2013 | 2.8m at 12.54am and 3.1m at 11.46am |
| 20 December 2013 | 2.8m at 1.24am and 3.1m at 12.20pm |
| 21 December 2013 | 2.8m at 1.52am and 3.0m at 12.52pm |
| 22 December 2013 | 2.8m at 2.20am and 3.0m at 1.26pm |
3Heavy rain coinciding with high tides could lead to localised flash floods especially in the low-lying areas. The public are advised to exercise caution during the monsoon season when flash floods may occur in the event of heavy rainfall. For the latest monsoon update, please visit http://app2.nea.gov.sg/weather-climate/forecasts/monsoon-update.
4Besides the regular weather forecast, NEA will issue warnings through the media when heavy rain or prolonged monsoon rain is expected. This will help the public to better prepare for heavy rain.
5The public can obtain the latest weather reports, including heavy rain warnings, at NEA’s website at www.nea.gov.sg. They can also assess the mobile weather service at Weather@SG (weather.nea.gov.sg) or by calling the NEA’s weather forecast hotline at 6542 7788.
6In the event of flash floods, the public can log on to PUB’s Facebook (www.facebook.com/PUBSg) or PUB’s Twitter (twitter.com/PUBSingapore), or tune in to radio broadcasts, to find out locations of flash floods. Additionally, they can download PUB’s free mobile app “MyWaters”, for updates on water level in key drains and canals and flash flood alerts.
– End –