Monthly Archives: December 2016

Expect mostly afternoon thundery showers in the first half of January 2017

Singapore, 30 December 2016  – The current Northeast Monsoon conditions over the region are forecast to prevail into the first fortnight of 2017. During this period, the low level winds are forecast to blow mainly from the northeast or northwest.

2          The first fortnight of 2017 is expected to be less wet compared to the rainy weather in the past two weeks. Thundery showers are still expected mostly in the afternoon on five to seven days, and could extend into the evening on a few days. Widespread thundery showers accompanied by gusty winds can also be expected between the predawn and early morning on one or two days. The rainfall for the first half of January 2017 is forecast to be slightly below normal.

3          During the outlook period, the daily maximum temperature on most days is forecast to be around 32°C or 33°C. Some cooler nights are expected, with the daily minimum temperature ranging between 23°C and 24°C.

4          The year 2016 is set to be the hottest year on record in Singapore since temperature records started in 1929. The mean annual temperature recorded at the Changi climate station (as at 29 December 2016) is 28.4°C, exceeding the current record of 28.3°C set in 1997, 1998 and 2015. Temperatures soared in the first half of 2016 due to the effects of a very strong El Niño. The temperatures remained well above the long-term average for the rest of the year. New monthly records for the hottest January, April and August were set in 2016.

5          The annual total rainfall recorded at the Changi climate station (as at 29 December 2016) is 1954mm. This is higher than the 1267mm rainfall recorded in 2015 (the second lowest on record), and 10% below the long-term annual mean of 2166mm (based on reference period 1981-2010).

6         For updates of the daily weather and haze forecast, please visit our MSS website (https://www.weather.gov.sg), NEA website (www.nea.gov.sg), or download the myENV app, MSS’ Weather@SG app.

Review: 1 – 29 December 2016

7          In December 2016, the region experienced Northeast Monsoon conditions where the low level winds were mostly blowing from the northwest or north.

8          The mean monthly temperature recorded at the Changi climate station (as at 29 December 2016) is 27.4°C, which is 0.3°C lower than the highest ever recorded mean December temperature set in 2015. December 2016 is on track to be the second hottest December on record.

9          Singapore experienced wetter weather conditions in the second half of December 2016 compared to the first half of the month. Most of the thundery showers occurred in the afternoon and evening due to strong solar heating of land areas coupled with convergence of winds in the surrounding vicinity. A high occurrence of Sumatra squalls during the month also brought moderate to heavy thundery showers to many parts of Singapore on several days in the pre-dawn hours and morning. The heaviest rain events occurred on 23 and 24 December 2016, where the highest daily rainfall of 98mm and 86mm was recorded over Bukit Panjang and Tai Seng respectively.

10        Almost all parts of Singapore received below normal rainfall in December 2016. The lowest rainfall of 116.4mm (55% below average) was recorded over the Jurong area. Rainfall was highest around Serangoon where 289.5mm (4% above average) was recorded.

CLIMATE STATION STATISTICS FOR JANUARY (Climatological reference period: 1981 – 2010)

Significantly below normal rainfall in first half of Dec 2016

Singapore, 16 December 2016 – Northeast Monsoon conditions are forecast to continue to prevail in the last fortnight of 2016. The low level winds during this period are forecast to blow mostly from the northwest or northeast. In addition, short-duration thundery showers, at times heavy, can be expected on seven to nine days, mostly between the late morning and afternoon.

2          On one or two days in the next fortnight, the presence of low pressure systems over the surrounding sea areas are expected to bring a shift in the low level winds to blow from the southwest or west. This could lead to the development of Sumatra squalls over the Strait of Malacca and bring widespread thundery showers accompanied by gusty winds to Singapore between the predawn and morning. The second half of December 2016 is expected to be wetter than the first fortnight of December 2016. Overall, the rainfall for December 2016 is forecast to be below normal.

3          Although December is one of the cooler months of the year, a few warm days can still be expected. In the next fortnight, the daily maximum temperatures on most days are forecast to be around 32°C or 33°C, and on a few days, the daily maximum temperature could reach a high of 34°C. On some rainy days, the daily minimum temperature could range between 22°C and 24°C.

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

Review: 1 – 15 December 2016

5          Northeast Monsoon conditions prevailed over the region in the first fortnight of December 2016. While the low level winds blew from the northwest on most days, there were some days when the winds were from the southwest or west due to the influence of Tropical Cyclones “Vardah” and “Nada” over the Bay of Bengal.

6          There were a few warm days in the first two weeks of December 2016 where the daily maximum temperature was between 34°C and 35°C. At the Changi climate station, the mean daily maximum temperature recorded in the first half of December 2016 was 31.8°C, which is 1.6°C above the long-term mean for December. In addition, the mean monthly temperature recorded was 27.8°C, which is 1.4°C warmer than the long-term mean for December.

7          In the first fortnight of December 2016, most of the thundery showers over the island occurred between midnight and 6am. These were due to Sumatra squalls moving across the island, coupled with strong convergence of winds in the surrounding vicinity. In addition, there were a few days of moderate to heavy rainfall over Singapore between the late afternoon and evening due to strong solar heating of land areas. During the period, the heaviest daily rainfall of 45.4mm was recorded on 1 December 2016 around Tuas.

8          For the period from 1 to 15 December 2016, rainfall across Singapore was significantly below normal. The highest rainfall of 128mm (18% below average) was recorded around Changi. Rainfall was lowest around Jurong where 25.2mm (81% below average) was recorded.

CLIMATE STATION STATISTICS FOR DECEMBER (Climatological reference period: 1981 – 2010)