THE sizzling weather of the past few weeks looks set to continue, right up to the weekend and possibly beyond.

The only respite might come from brief showers between the late morning and early afternoon on some days this week.

COOL REFUGE IN LIBRARY 'I have been spending more time in the library - there are books and you can read in air-conditioned comfort. It beats watching TV at home and sweating profusely.' Housewife Joleen Tan ... more

According to the 14-day forecast issued by the National Environment Agency (NEA) last week, temperatures over the next few days could hit 34 or even 35 deg C.

Things could get a lot more uncomfortable too: The dry weather during this period could result in forest fires in neighbouring countries, which may see haze settling over Singapore.

June, traditionally the hottest month of the year here, is also smack in the middle of the south-west monsoon season. This means rainfall levels are likely to be low as rain gets blown away by the strong south-west winds.

The heat spell usually begins in April and may hit its peak later this month.

So far, the hottest day during this period was May 13, when the mercury hit 33.6 deg C. But it could sizzle even higher this week. This, however, is well below the record of 36 deg C, recorded on March 26, 1998.

But while many people here are scurrying for relief, not everyone is complaining about the heatwave: For air-conditioner retailers, sales have spiked by up to 50 per cent.

A check with 12 of them showed that sales of units went up by between 15 and 50 per cent over the past month alone.

While business traditionally gets better during the hot months, retailers said demand is noticeably higher this year.

Read the full story in Thursday's edition of The Straits Times.

siwan@sph.com.sg