SINGAPORE - Some warm days are expected in the next half of March, with temperatures likely to hit a high of 35 deg C, the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) said on Friday (March 16).

A mass of dry air from northern Asia is forecast to move over parts of South-east Asia during some days in the next fortnight.

This passage of dry air is forecast to bring fair and warm conditions over Singapore, with the daily maximum temperature reaching up to 35 deg C on these days.

The daily maximum and minimum temperatures on most days in the next half of March are expected to hit 34 deg C and 24 deg C respectively.

These forecasts are expected along with the prevailing north-east monsoon conditions, with low-level winds blowing predominantly from the north-east or north-west.

These winds are expected to gradually transition to become light and variable in direction around the end of March, as the weather gives way to the onset of the inter-monsoon period in early April.

Even as some dry and warm days are expected, there will also be thundery showers expected on five to seven days in the rest of March.

These short showers are expected to last up to an hour in the afternoons, extending into the evenings on one or two days.

There may also be thundery showers with gusty winds on one or two mornings as Sumatra squall lines move eastward from the Strait of Malacca towards the South China Sea.

March is forecast to be a dry month, with the total rainfall expected to be below the monthly average of 170.3mm.

During the first half of March, Singapore experienced below-normal rainfall, with the highest daily maximum temperature of 35.7 deg C recorded at Clementi on March 3.