Today Online 17 Nov 09;
SINGAPORE - Don't put away your umbrella just yet. It's been rainy, but more rainfall is expected now that the North-east Monsoon is upon us, said the National Environment Agency's (NEA) Meteorological Services Division yesterday.
The rainy season is expected to last until January next year. There will be periods of moderate to heavy rain, with high tides ranging from 3 to 3.2 metres in the same period.
Because of this, there might be localised flash floods in low-lying areas such as Lorong Buangkok, Jalan Seaview, Meyer Road, Lorong 101 to Lorong 106 Changi and Everitt North Road. Residents and shopowners have been warned and motorists travelling along roads in these areas are advised to exercise caution during flash floods.
Flash floods might also occur in low lying city areas such as Chinatown, Boat Quay, Geylang and Jalan Besar.
The public can obtain the latest weather reports, including heavy rain warnings, by tuning in to radio broadcasts, calling NEA's weather forecast hotline at 6542 7788, visiting www.nea.gov.sg or accessing NEA's mobile weather service Weather@SG (weather.nea.gov.sg).
The public can also call PUB's 24-hour Call Centre at 1800-284 6600 to report obstructions in drains or to check the flood situation.
PUB gives monsoon period updates
Channel NewsAsia 16 Nov 09;
SINGAPORE: The PUB has completed several projects that will help alleviate flooding in flood-prone areas as the monsoon season draws near. Some of the areas include Cuscaden Road, Commonwealth Avenue and Bedok North Ave 3.
According to the National Environment Agency (NEA) on Monday, the monsoon season is expected to set in shortly and last till January next year. Heavy rain, coinciding with high tides, could lead to localised flash floods in low-lying areas.
PUB, the national water agency, had in October sent advisories to residents and shop-owners in flood-prone areas to warn them of the possibility of flash floods.
They have also been advised to take the necessary precautions to protect their belongings by storing them on higher ground or placing sandbags to block floodwaters.
PUB has also stepped up the monitoring of some 60 hotspots islandwide to ensure that the drainage system is not blocked.
In addition, checks on construction sites have been intensified to ensure that contractors keep the drains around their sites smooth-flowing and free of debris.
Motorists are advised to exercise caution when travelling along roads in the flood-prone areas. NEA said it will issue warnings through the media when heavy rain or prolonged monsoon rain is expected.
Wet spell could trigger flash floods
Low-lying areas may be affected, with heavy rain expected till January
Amresh Gunasingham, Straits Times 17 Nov 09;
HOLD on to your umbrella - the wet weather is set to stay till January, at least.
Singapore's weatherman has forecast that the wet spell will linger till then, with the possible risk of floods affecting low-lying parts of the island till the end of the year.
PUB, the national water agency, said yesterday that heavy rain brought on by the north-east monsoon could coincide with 3m- to 3.2m-high tides, triggering flash floods over the next few months.
Some 50 PUB officers have their eyes peeled on 58 'hot spots' around the island to ensure rubbish or debris, such as at construction sites, does not block drains and outlets.
Flood-prone areas include Chinatown, the Central Business District, Geylang, Lorong Buangkok and Tanjong Katong.
'Motorists travelling along roads in these areas are advised to exercise caution in the event of flash floods,' the agency said.
The National Environment Agency said that in the first two weeks of this month, rain was above the national average across many parts of Singapore. Areas such as Jurong and Kranji saw as much as 210mm of rain dumped, more than three times the average, although it was below that in the same period for the previous two years.
Dr Wolfgang Grabs, head of hydrological forecasting and water resources at the World Meteorological Organisation, told The Straits Times that rainfall in the region will be below average over the wet months but it would be more intense when it rains.
This is attributed, in part, to warming global temperatures, meaning more moisture is trapped in the atmosphere. 'The higher water content in the atmosphere means rain is more intense than before.'
To quell the effects of the stormy spell, PUB has invested $59 million over the last 12 months to widen and deepen drainage networks, as well as raise the roads in 10 low-lying areas such as Cuscaden Road, Mountbatten Road and Commonwealth Avenue.
Since last month, the agency has advised 204 residents and businesses to store belongings on elevated ground and place sandbags at entrances to block flooding.
Mr Eric Wong, 50, who owns three shophouses along Trengganu Street in Chinatown, has spent more than $5,000 over the past few years to protect his grocery stores from the annual downpour.
'The flooding is not as bad now, compared to a few years ago, when construction work was done to complete the Chinatown MRT station nearby,' he said. 'The water then could reach knee deep.'
Food supplies in Mr Wong's shops are now stacked on 30cm-high wooden platforms. A canopy was also installed recently to protect the stores from the elements.
The flooding situation in the city area has also improved since the completion of the Marina Barrage. To prevent floods, it has seven pumps - each with a capacity of 40 cu m per second - to flush excess storm water into the sea.
The barrage also has nine 30m gates to separate sea water from the reservoir and keep out high tides.
To date, the highest amount of rainfall to drench the island was in December 2006, when 366mm of rain fell over a 24-hour period, the wettest on record in 137 years of recorded history.
Some 50 PUB officers have their eyes peeled on 58 'hot spots' around the island to ensure rubbish or debris, such as at construction sites, does not block drains and outlets. Flood-prone areas include Chinatown, the Central Business District, Geylang, Lorong Buangkok and Tanjong Katong.
