Rain, rain, come to stay

Claire Yip, and Chia Shimin The New Paper AsiaOne 22 Mar 14;

The rains have returned. But some farmers in Lim Chu Kang are not celebrating yet.

After an extended dry spell in Singapore that began in mid-January, many have welcomed the downpours in recent days.

The ponds and wells at Jurong Frog Farm, Sunny Horticulture and Kranji Agri Vista in Lim Chu Kang had dried up to far below their normal levels when The New Paper visited them last month.

Mr Derrick Ng, 33, had to stop growing vegetables on his farm at Kranji Agri Vista because they required too much water.

The soil was dry and cracked and the grass was turning yellow at many farms in the area.

The amount of rain since last Saturday has already surpassed last month's total recorded rainfall of 0.2mm.

In fact on Sunday, as of 6.30pm, 52.6mm of rain was recorded at the Changi climate station, the National Environment Agency's (NEA) reference station, reported The Straits Times.

When TNP visited on Wednesday, the rain had partially refilled the ponds and wells at these farms, and was rehydrating the plants and soil.

For some, water levels had returned to their original levels before the dry spell, although others remained half-full or even empty.

Mr Sun Hui, 26, a worker at Kranji Agri Vista, told us he had much less work to do now.

During the dry spell, they had to water the plants thrice a day, but now that the rains are back, they have to do so only every other day.

'BLESSING FOR FROGS'

Miss Chelsea Wan, 30, farm manager of Jurong Frog Farm in Lim Chu Kang, said: "The water is a blessing for the frogs. They need it."

She said that if the drought had continued, they would not have been able to keep frogs any more. Water is critical for frogs as they breathe through their moist skin.

But Miss Wan added that it had only been three days since the dry spell was broken, and that they needed consistent rainfall to truly make a difference.

And although the water levels of the ponds and wells at these farms had risen, most still were not completely filled.

Mr Vincent Ang, 53, a volunteer at the herb garden in Kranji Agri Vista, said the rain had saved their herbs, but continuous rain was also bad for their plants.

"Right now, the water hasn't recovered to its initial levels," he said. "I hope the rain continues, but I don't know how long it will last."

The NEA said on its website that for the next fortnight, several fair and warm days can be expected. On some afternoons, short- duration thunder showers are expected.

Rain brings welcome respite to water woes
David Ee and Audrey Tan The Straits Times AsiaOne 24 Mar 14;

SINGAPORE - With six days of rain easing water woes caused by two months of dry weather, national water agency PUB is beginning to wind down some of the measures it put in place to maintain the country's water supply.

It is "progressively" reducing production at the country's desalination and Newater plants, PUB assistant chief executive for operations Tan Yok Gin told The Straits Times.

These have been running at almost full capacity for more than a month to supply 55 per cent of Singapore's water.

The amount of Newater being pumped into Singapore's 17 reservoirs has also been reduced, he added, without citing figures.

The PUB had been injecting 35 million gallons of Newater every day to keep water levels healthy.

Water imported from Malaysia is the Republic's other source.

Still, the PUB is keeping an eye on the weather and will respond if dry weather returns, Mr Tan said.

Despite the respite for the previously parched greenery, the National Parks Board is looking further ahead - by taking steps to make plants more resilient.

A spokesman said it will gradually replace small trees that were unable to endure the dry weather with hardier species during its ongoing maintenance programme.

This is part of the board's efforts to ensure that greenery can cope with "increasingly unpredictable weather conditions".

Drought-tolerant species that have already been introduced, such as the yellow flame, common kelat and sea gutta, held up well, the spokesman said.

She added that the dried lawns at the Botanic Gardens are expected to recover, and the lakes there are likely to gradually fill up with rainwater.

On Friday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong also posted a before- and-after picture of the Istana lawns on Facebook, showing how the previously brown grass is now a healthy green.

"What a difference a few days of rain make," he wrote.

Assistant Professor Jason Cohen of the National University of Singapore (NUS) said the wet weather during this period was not surprising, especially in Singapore, which has a "monsoon- dominated climate".

Singapore experiences two main monsoon periods - the north-east monsoon, which typically ends during this period, and the south-west monsoon, usually from about May to September.

"Regardless of the likelihood of the El Nino weather phenomenon, the monsoon has to come," he said.

The El Nino weather phenomenon is linked to drought in this region, and American forecasters have warned that it may return this year.

Prof Cohen, from the NUS Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, added that while El Nino could extend the hot season and drought, "there was no evidence" that it would increase rain in this region.

Meanwhile, short thundery showers are expected on two to four days over the next fortnight, the National Environment Agency said on its website in the fortnightly weather outlook.

Rainfall for this month is likely to be below average, it added.

But more rain is on the cards, with the ongoing dry phase of the north-east monsoon gradually easing and the impending arrival of the inter-monsoon period in the last week of the month.

Avid runner and public relations executive Claudio Chock, 25, is looking forward to wetter weather despite the inconvenience.

"I am less able to go for runs due to the rain, but it still helps because the weather is less hot," he said.