Fewer rainy, windy days for the rest of December

SINGAPORE: There will be fewer windy days and less rain in Singapore for the rest of December, the Meteorological Service Singapore said on Thursday (Dec 16).

While December is usually associated with wet and windy conditions, northeast monsoon conditions in the coming two weeks are forecast to be generally weaker.

Daily temperature is expected to range between 24 and 33 degrees Celsius on most days, reaching highs of 34 degrees Celsius on a few days.

On a few rainy days, the temperature may drop to 22 to 23 degrees Celsius, added the Met Service.

Short-duration thundery showers can still be expected in the afternoon on most days, with some extending into the evening.

The passage of Sumatra squalls in the first few days of the coming fortnight may also bring widespread rain and occasional gusty winds between the pre-dawn hours and morning.

But overall, rainfall in December is expected to be well below average across the island. It was also well below average in the first half of the month.

In particular, the rainfall anomaly at MacRitchie recorded a deviation of 81 per cent below average, said the Met Service.

Northeast monsoon conditions prevailed in the first half of December, resulting in relatively windy conditions and passing showers.

The highest daily total rainfall of 78.8mm was recorded at West Coast on Dec 10, while the strongest wind gust measured 68.3kmh at Admiralty on Dec 13.

The highest daily maximum temperature of 34.8 degrees Celsius was taken at Tengah on Dec 1. That same day, the temperature at the Changi climate station recorded a new high of 33.9 degrees Celsius, breaking a previous record of 33.8 degrees set for the month of December.

The minimum temperature of 22.1 degrees Celsius hit a low at Jurong West on Dec 2.