Significantly warm days can still be expected
Advisory
Singapore, 15 April 2016 – Inter-monsoon conditions characterised by low level winds that are light and variable in direction had set in over the region in the second week of April 2016. The conditions are forecast to persist for the rest of April 2016 and into May 2016.
2. In the next fortnight, with the monsoon rain belt forecast to lie close to the equator coupled with strong solar heating of land areas during the day, Singapore is likely to experience short-duration thundery showers mostly in the afternoons on five to seven days. In addition, thundery showers with gusty winds due to a Sumatra squall can be expected in the pre-dawn and morning on one or two days. The rainfall for April 2016 is expected to be near average.
3. Despite the rain showers, some warm days are can still be expected with the daily maximum temperatures ranging between 33°C and 35°C, and could reach a high of up to 36°C on a few days. Warmer conditions are common during the inter-monsoon period when there is strong solar heating and the winds are generally light.
Review (1 – 14 April 2016)
4. In the later part of the first fortnight of April 2016, the low level northeasterly winds in the region weakened to become light and variable in direction signifying a transition from the Northeast Monsoon to inter-monsoon conditions.
5. Singapore experienced significantly warmer conditions in the first two weeks of April 2016, where the highest daily maximum temperature ranged between 34.1°C and 36.7°C. While there were rain showers on many days during this period, the rain brought only brief relief to the warm conditions. On 13 April 2016, 36.7°C was recorded at Seletar, the highest daily maximum temperature recorded so far this year and also the highest in the last ten years. As of 14 April 2016, the mean monthly temperature for April 2016 was 29.4°C, 1.4°C warmer than the long-term mean for April.
6. In the first half of April 2016, rainfall was below average across the island. The highest rainfall of 126mm (near average) was recorded over the western part of Singapore around Jurong. Rainfall was lowest over the northern part of Singapore around Admiralty, where 20mm (82% below average) was recorded. The highest total daily rainfall recorded was 111mm around the Upper Pierce Reservoir area on 3 April 2016 due to strong solar heating of land areas coupled with localised wind convergence.
CLIMATE STATION STATISTICS FOR APRIL (Climatological reference period: 1981 – 2010)
| Mean daily maximum temperature | 32.3 degrees Celsius |
| Mean daily minimum temperature | 25.0 degrees Celsius |
| Mean monthly temperature | 28.0 degrees Celsius |
| Mean rainfall for the month | 154.8 mm |
| Mean number of rain days | 14 |
| Highest monthly mean daily maximum temperature | 33.9 degrees Celsius (1983) |
| Lowest monthly mean daily minimum temperature | 23.9 degrees Celsius (1982) |
| Highest monthly rainfall | 311.6 mm (2000) |
| Lowest monthly rainfall | 43.1 mm (1983) |