SINGAPORE: Last month was the warmest and driest September in Singapore on record at the climate station in Changi, the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) said on Tuesday (Oct 1).
The monthly mean temperature last month was 29 degrees Celsius, 0.2 degrees warmer than the previous record set in September 1997.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThere were also new records set for the maximum and minimum mean daily temperatures for the month.
The mean daily maximum temperature of 33 degrees Celsius far exceeded the previous record of 32.2 degrees Celsius hit in September 1997, said MSS.
The mean daily minimum temperature, at 26.6 degrees Celsius, was 0.1 degrees higher than the previous record in September 2015.
The monthly total rainfall last month was 22.8mm, breaking the previous September record low of 23.7mm in September 1994.
September 2019 was also the third consecutive month with more than 40 per cent below-normal monthly rainfall, giving rise to a "rainfall deficit situation", said MSS.
AdvertisementAdvertisementA rainfall deficit situation refers to a period of at least three consecutive months with monthly rainfall more than 40 per cent below the climatological norm, averaged over the rainfall stations with long-term records across the island, according to MSS.
The last occurrence of a rainfall deficit situation in Singapore was in 2014 from January to March.
[h=3]READ: August 2019 likely the driest and warmest on record, says Met Service[/h][h=3]READ: Singapore experienced driest July on record: Met Service[/h]July and August 2019 were also the driest of their respective months since rainfall records began in 1869.
EXPECT SHORT THUNDERSTORMS
However, the dry spell is coming to an end, with short thunderstorms expected over the next two weeks.
Thunderstorms can be expected in the late morning extending into the afternoon on a few days, said MSS.
Rainfall for the first fortnight of October is expected to be slightly above normal over most parts of Singapore.
Showers are also forecast for the southern Southeast Asia region in the coming fortnight.
This is expected to further improve the haze situation in the region, said MSS, adding that the likelihood of transboundary haze affecting Singapore is low.
"However, Singapore could experience slightly hazy conditions on a few days, particularly in the early morning, due to an accumulation of particulate matter in the atmosphere under light wind conditions," said the Met Service.
The next two weeks are also forecast to be warm, with the daily maximum temperature exceeding 35 degrees Celsius on a few days.
On most days, the temperature is forecast to range between 25 degrees Celsius and 34 degrees Celsius.
The night-time temperatures in the southern and eastern coastal areas of the island are expected to be warmer with daily minimum temperatures of 27 degrees Celsius or more on some days.
[h=3]READ: Singapore's first recorded landspout damages roofs in Tuas[/h]The weatherman also noted the first reported landspout in Singapore last month, when an intense thunderstorm generated a rotating column of winds over Gul Way on Sep 27.
The landspout lasted for several minutes and ripped off parts of a building's roof.
[h=3]READ: In pictures: Haze covers Singapore on Wednesday as air quality worsens[/h]Singapore also experienced hazy conditions between Sep 9 and 23 due to smoke haze from land and vegetation fires in Sumatra blown in by the prevailing winds, added MSS.
The highest 24-hour PSI reading of 154 was recorded in southern Singapore between 2am and 4am on Sep 19.
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