Heavy rain causes floods and massive jams

Channel NewsAsia 26 Sep 08;

SINGAPORE: Heavy downpour early Friday created havoc with the morning rush hour traffic, causing massive jams and several accidents on the roads.

MediaCorp’s hotline received many calls of water ponding and floods along Desker Road, roads around Jalan Besar, outside SingTel building near Somerset MRT station and along Orchard Road in front of the Marriot Hotel.

A check with the National Environment Agency (NEA) found that the early morning downpour was due to Southwest Monsoon conditions.

The NEA said that widespread showers with thunder and gusty winds are likely for one or two days in the pre-dawn hours and early morning.

The Agency’s forecast for the next two days also calls for morning showers with thunder.

- 938 Live/CNA/yb

Water, water, everywhere...
Straits Times 27 Sep 08;

OFFICE workers in the Central Business District found themselves wading in water calf-deep following a heavy downpour yesterday morning.

Floods were reported along Cross Street, Orchard Road, Cuscaden Road and in Tiong Bahru.

Stockbroker Chia Hin Key was going to work along Cross Street at about 8am and noticed cars had even stalled on the road.

The MRT underpass in Orchard Road was flooded with around 10cm of water, causing many pedestrians to take alternate routes to work.

But engineer Joseph Ho said some people still braved the underpass, one of the busiest in the city.

In Tiong Bahru, the rain uprooted a tree in front of a row of flats along Boon Tiong Road. A nearby storm canal also overflowed, leaving the surrounding area covered in about half a metre of muddy water.

Singaporeans could be in for more of the same weather over the next few days.

The weatherman is expecting morning showers with thunder today and tomorrow.

SUJIN THOMAS