SINGAPORE - More rain can be expected for the rest of May, giving Singaporeans some respite after the recent bout of hot weather.

The Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) said on Tuesday that there may be widespread thundery showers in the pre-dawn and morning hours on several days, accompanied by gusty winds brought on by Sumatra squalls.

On some days, short and localised thundery showers can be expected over parts of the island in the afternoon and evening.

Rainfall for the next two weeks can be expected to be slightly above average. The total rainfall for May is predicted to be near average over most parts of the island.

While temperatures are expected to be moderated by the rain, the daily maximum temperature is likely to range between 33 deg C and 34 deg C on most days, with possibly a high of 35 deg C on some days.

Some warm and humid nights are also to be expected due to prevailing winds from the south-east or south blowing warm and humid air from the sea to Singapore.

The minimum temperature on these nights may reach 28 deg C, particularly over the southern and eastern coastal areas of the country.

“The inter-monsoon conditions prevailing over Singapore and the surrounding region are expected to persist, with the low-level winds mostly light and variable in direction and blowing from the south-east or south-west on some days,” said MSS.

While there were localised and short thundery showers over parts of the island on most afternoons in the first week of May, most days in the second week were dry. 

Strong heating of land areas by the sun, along with localised convergence of winds, led to the thundery showers over most parts of Singapore in the afternoon of May 4. The highest daily rainfall in the first two weeks of May was 113.2mm, recorded in Paya Lebar on May 4.

The temperature was about 34 deg C on most days in the last two weeks, with eight days registering temperatures of 35 deg C or higher.

Last Saturday, a combination of light winds and dry and clear sky conditions resulted in high temperatures exceeding 36 deg C in several locations.

The year’s warmest temperature was recorded that day in Ang Mo Kio, when the mercury hit 37 deg C, tying the highest daily maximum temperature recorded in Singapore four decades ago in Tengah on April 17, 1983.

The previous highest daily maximum temperature recorded in May was 36.7 deg C in Admiralty in 2022.