SINGAPORE - Expect more short-duration thundery showers in the late morning and early afternoon during the first two weeks of June.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Wednesday (June 1) that the period of June to early October signals the start of the south-west monsoon season.

During this period, the nights can be relatively warm, particularly on days with no rain. Daily maximum temperatures are expected to range between 32 deg C and 33 deg C.

Close to normal rainfall and temperatures can be expected for Singapore in the next one to two months, NEA said. But it warned that La Nina - a weather phenomenon associated with more rain in this region - could kick in later this year.

For the first two weeks of May, the days were significantly warmer than usual, with daily maximum temperatures ranging between 32.8 deg C and 36.1 deg C.

An increase in the occurrence of rain showers in the second half of the month brought some cooler days, NEA noted.

Still, the mean monthly temperature of 29.3 deg C recorded at the Changi climate station was 1.0 deg C warmer than the long-term mean temperature for May.

May 2016 was the second-warmest May since Singapore temperature records began in 1929, tying the mark set in May 1997, NEA said.

It added that on most days last month, the thundery showers in the afternoon were due to strong solar heating of land areas coupled with the convergence of winds over Singapore.

As a result, most parts of Singapore received above average rainfall.

The highest rainfall of 341mm (61 per cent above average) was recorded around Seletar. Rainfall was lowest around Clementi at 165mm, which was 30 per cent below average.

For daily weather forecasts, visit www.weather.gov.sg, the NEA website, or download the myENV app.