Wet Weather Set To Continue Through To End-Oct, Lightning Activity May Be Higher In Inter-Monsoon Period
At the beginning of October, wet weather was predicted for the first half of the month.
True to predictions, the F1 weekend was rainy, though spirits remained high at the event.
Source: Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team on Twitter
The wet weather, however, will continue till the end of the month, said the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS).
Lightning activity may also be higher due to the coming inter-monsoon period.
Thundery showers in the mornings this week
According to a weather advisory on Monday (17 Oct), the MSS said to expect thundery showers on most days in the next two weeks.
In the earlier part of the fortnight (i.e this week), these will take the form of widespread thundery showers with gusty winds between pre-dawn and morning on some days.
They will be caused by Sumatra squalls in the Strait of Malacca, developed due to the presence of low-pressure systems over the South China Sea.
Thundery showers in the afternoons next week
In the latter half of the fortnight, however, the thundery showers will be in the afternoon on most days.
Source: achresis khora on Flickr
On a few of these days, the showers will even extend into the evening.
Large-scale convergence of winds over Singapore and the surrounding region may also result in widespread moderate to heavy thundery showers on a few days of the fortnight.
MSS expects the overall rainfall for October to be well above-average over most parts of Singapore.
Southwest Monsoon makes way for inter-monsoon period
The continuing wet weather will be due to the gradual weakening of the prevailing Southwest Monsoon conditions, MSS said.
Currently, the low-level winds are blowing from the southeast or west. These will become light and variable in direction by end-October.
The shift in wind conditions heralds the end of the Southwest Monsoon and the start of the inter-monsoon period.
Lightning activity higher during inter-monsoon period
One feature of the inter-monsoon period that may interest — or alarm — people is that lightning activity tends to be higher, MSS said.
Source: Jonathan Ho on Facebook
This is compared with other months of the year.
The monsoon rain band also lies close to the equatorial region, which would explain the increased amount of showers over Singapore and the region.
The inter-monsoon conditions should last through to November, MSS added.
24-33°C till end-Oct despite wet weather
As for the daily temperature, it won’t get much cooler despite the rain, with the mercury hovering between 24°C and 33°C on most days till end-October.
However, the temperature will go down by just 1°C on a few rainy days.
On these days, the daily temperatures might range from 23°C to 32°C.
The daily maximum temperature, on the other hand, could still hit a high of 34°C on a few days.
Above-average rainfall in 1st half of Oct
In the first half of October, well above-average rainfall was received across the island, MSS said.
Source: NEA
Singapore experienced widespread showers and gusty winds between pre-dawn and morning on most days, and thundery showers on a few nights too.
This was because of several Sumatra squalls caused by the influence of several tropical storms over the South China Sea and Western Pacific Ocean.
On 5 Oct, the daily total rainfall of 138.1 mm at Pasir Panjang was the highest rainfall recorded in a day in this period.
Singaporeans also enjoyed cloudy and cool conditions on most days in this fortnight, with 11 days where the maximum temperature was below 33°C.
In the nighttime, we snuggled better in our beds on nine days due to minimum temperatures of 23°C or lower.
On Jurong Island, the temperature dropped to a chilly 21.9°C on 12 Oct due to the rain — the lowest daily minimum temperature for the period.
Bring umbrella to ward off wet weather till end-Oct
As the traditional rainy season draws near, we can expect the current wet weather to last right up to the end of 2022.
While this will be music to the ears of some people, it might inconvenience those who have to venture outdoors often.
Ultimately, do remember to bring an umbrella if you’re not going to stay indoors and chill.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from achresis khora on Flickr.
Drop us your email so you won't miss the latest news.
