The cooler weather of the last two weeks is over for a while.

The first two weeks of this month will be drier and warmer than the second half of July, the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) said in a statement yesterday.

Daily maximum temperatures over the next fortnight are expected to be between 33 and 34 deg C, and could hit 35 deg C on a few days.

Rainfall is expected to be slightly below normal, though short thundery showers will offer some respite. They are "forecast to occur in the late morning and early afternoon on four to five days", the MSS said.

Thundery showers with gusty winds are also likely on one to two days in the pre-dawn and morning.

For about 30 years, between 1981 and 2010, the mean daily maximum temperature for August was 31.4 deg C. The mean monthly temperature was 27.9 deg C.

Last month, there were several warm days in the first half, when the daily maximum temperatures were between 30.2 and 36 deg C.

The second half of the month was cooler, with wetter weather. Daily maximum temperatures stayed between 28.8 and 34.7 deg C. The mean monthly temperature recorded was 28.4 deg C, warmer than the long-term mean of 27.9 deg C for July.

Singapore experienced relatively wet conditions in the month as a result of a strong convergence of winds in the surrounding region and the passage of Sumatra squalls on several days. The heaviest rain fell on July 21, with the East Coast area getting 96.8mm of rain.

Almost all parts of Singapore received above normal rainfall in July 2016.

Jeremy Koh