Afternoon showers expected for first half of March: MSS

SINGAPORE - Keep your umbrellas handy for the next two weeks, as rain is expected on most afternoons in the first half of March.

The thundery showers, which are associated with prevailing north-east monsoon conditions, are expected to be short, though it may stretch into the evening on some days, said the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) on Feb 28.

Daily maximum temperatures are likely to range between 33 deg C and 34 deg C on most days, and slightly exceed 34 deg C on a few days.

However, even on a sunny day, some areas could experience flooding due to seasonal spring tides, which are expected in March, said national water agency PUB.

Spring tides occur when the Sun, Moon and Earth align to create the greatest gravitational pull on the sea. This causes higher than usual high tides.

“When this happens, some of our canals and drains which are connected to the sea can experience higher water levels, potentially causing seawater to overflow into surrounding areas,” PUB said in a Facebook post on Feb 28.

There has been above-average rainfall over most parts of Singapore in the past two weeks, the MSS said, with heavy rain over many parts of the island on Feb 17. This was due to the combination of strong solar heating and the convergence of winds. The daily total rainfall of 77.9mm recorded at Ang Mo Kio that day was the highest recorded for the fortnight.

Daily maximum temperatures during this period were below 34 deg C on most days, with the mercury peaking at 34.2 deg C in Clementi on Feb 17 and in Jurong West on Feb 22.