Heavy rain causes flash floods in Tanjong Pagar; rainy weather expected to persist due to north-east monsoon

Flash floods occurred at Maxwell Road due to heavy rain on Monday (Jan 23) morning. PHOTO: ST READER
Flooding also occurred along Upper Cross Street near the State Courts. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
Workers trying to clear the flooded walkway at NUS University Town on Jan 23, 2017. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

SINGAPORE - Heavy rain on Monday (Jan 23) morning resulted in flash floods in the Tanjong Pagar area, with the rainy weather expected to persist throughout the day.

The heavy rain was due to a north-east monsoon surge, National water agency PUB said in an evening update.

The downpour across many parts of Singapore from early Monday morning led to flash floods at the junction of Maxwell Road and Tanjong Pagar Road, as well as the junction of Craig Road and Tanjong Pagar Road.

The flash flood at a 30m stretch of Maxwell Road occurred from 9.17am to 10.00am, and the flash flood at a 20m stretch of Craig Road and Tanjong Pagar Road Junction occurred from 9.30am to 9.47am, PUB said.

"Both areas are known hot spots," PUB said.

Drainage improvement works at the junction of Maxwell Road and Tanjong Pagar Road will start in February and are expected to complete by the third quarter of 2017, it added.

Earlier, PUB said on Facebook that floods occurred at Craig Road, Tanjong Pagar Road and Maxwell Road.

The Land Transport Authority, in a tweet at 9.23am, warned motorists of the flash flood on Maxwell Road (towards Kadayanallur Street) after South Bridge Road.

PUB said in an update at around 10am that the flash floods had largely subsided, although it warned of several high flood risk areas, including Jalan Seaview, Tiong Bahru Road/Boon Tiong Road and the Alexandra Canal Sub Drain B near Redhill MRT station.

It later added Bishan Road and Yio Chu Kang Road to its list of high flood risk areas at around 11.20am.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) had earlier issued a heavy rain alert at around 9.27am, warning that moderate to heavy thundery showers with gusty wind could be expected over many areas of Singapore.

In an update at 11.50am on Monday, NEA said "overcast skies with periods of moderate to heavy showers, at times with thunder", are expected to persist throughout the day due to a Northeast Monsoon surge currently affecting Singapore.

"The monsoon surge refers to a strengthening of winds over the South China Sea, causing extensive rainclouds to form over our surrounding region," it added in a statement.

"The rainy conditions are forecast to gradually ease by tomorrow (Tuesday) evening."

According to Facebook user Mohd Nizam Nawawi, his car was stuck briefly in traffic near Maxwell Road.

A photo sent in by a Straits Times reader who declined to be named showed ankle-high waters along the road.

Last week, the Upper Thomson area was hit by flash floods after heavy rain, which caused traffic congestion at the junction of Upper Thomson Road and Jalan Lembad Thomson.

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