Channel NewsAsia 17 Mar 14;
SINGAPORE: Widespread showers across Singapore on Monday continued to help improve the air quality here.
The three-hr PSI was 19 at 9pm, well within the good range.
As at 6pm today, the 24-hr PSI was 16-23 and the 24-hr PM2.5 was 9-14 μg/m3.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) on Monday said there were zero hotspots detected in Peninsular Malaysia, and four in Sumatra.
The low hotspot count is due to extensive cloud cover.
The NEA said showers over these areas have helped improve the haze situation there.
As at 1 pm Monday, the air quality in most areas of Peninsular Malaysia was in the good range.
The NEA said that the overall air quality in Singapore for the next 24 hours is expected to be in the moderate band.
Thundery showers in the afternoon are forecasted for the next few days here.
Winds in the surrounding region are expected to blow mainly from the northeast but slightly hazy conditions can be expected if there are hotspot activities in southern Johor.
- CNA/fa
Nurseries, farms glad for rain but keep their guard up
Woo Sian Boon Today Online 18 Mar 14;
SINGAPORE — Businesses badly hit by the recent dry spell, such as vegetable farmers, reacted with glee to the downpours over the past two days, although some continued to express apprehension over letting their guard down despite the forecast of thundery showers for the next few days.
Widespread showers fell in the late morning and afternoon yesterday — the highest rainfall of 51.6mm was recorded at Yishun at 4pm — following the downpour on Sunday. It ended a 27-day dry spell in Singapore that had given some businesses ballooning water bills and caused some farmers’ production to fall by about 20 to 30 per cent.
These firms are keeping their fingers crossed that the National Environment Agency’s (NEA) forecast for more rain in the coming days will come true. Said Candy Floriculture Director Sharon Goh: “It will take one or two weeks before my plants will fully recover.”
Green Gween Landscape Design and Construction’s owner, Mr John Gwee, added: “We really need more rain ... because the plants have to do a lot of catching up in retaining water as a form of reservoir for themselves — they need to have constant replenishment from the rain in order to have a certain degree of moisture in the soil.”
Others, such as Yili Vegetation and Trading Managing Director Alan Toh, are just glad for the respite — he had planned to purchase non-potable water from the PUB to water his vegetables yesterday, but shelved these plans because of Sunday’s rain.
“I feel like I’ve won 4D. My problems have been solved. Now we can go back to normal operations and start planting new crops,” he said.
Farm 85 Trading’s owner Tan Koon Hua, however, is not taking any chances. He has expanded the capacity of his irrigation pond by raising its height by 5 metres.
“It’s as much as we can raise its water levels without having to apply for permits from the authorities but, with the additional capacity, we should be able to store enough water to last for 10 more days,” he said.
Similarly, town councils, which have been implementing water-saving measures such as reducing the frequency of block-washing, are adopting a wait-and-see approach.
Said a spokesperson for Tampines Town Council: “We are still closely monitoring the situation because it might be a temporary relief. Through the next week or so, if we continue to have regular rainfall, then we will resume normal block washing.”
In response to queries, national water agency PUB said its measures to keep our reservoirs’ water levels healthy are still in place. “We are running our operations at status quo, with about 35 million gallons a day of NEWater injected into the reservoirs,” said a spokesperson. Desalination and NEWater plants are also still running at full capacity, she added.
The agency continued its call for the public to conserve water and “make it a way of life” even though “some rain has returned”.
Meanwhile, the widespread showers also brought respite in terms of air quality. Yesterday, the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index was 16-23 at 6pm, with the NEA predicting the index to remain in the “moderate” range today.
Showers over Peninsular Malaysia and central Sumatra have also helped to improve the haze situation in these areas, with air quality in most areas of Peninsular Malaysia in the “good” range yesterday afternoon, it said.
Winds in the surrounding region are expected to blow mainly from the north-east, said the NEA, although slightly hazy conditions can be expected if there are hot spot activities in southern Johor.
Residents cheer as rain ends persistent dry spell
David Ee The Straits Times AsiaOne 19 Mar 14;
SINGAPORE - Long-awaited downpours drenched Singapore through much of on Sunday, easing the country out of an unprecedented dry spell that had lasted since mid-January.
Rain fell from as early as 9.40am, the National Environment Agency (NEA) confirmed, with showers continuing on and off throughout the day. Straits Times readers across the island all reported showers.
As of 6.30pm, 52.6mm of rain was recorded at the Changi climate station, the NEA's reference station.
In contrast, just 75.4mm of rain fell there throughout January, while last month, there was just 0.2mm.
Netizens reacted with glee, posting photographs on social media. Even Cabinet ministers and MPs chimed in.
Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, who had been urging the nation to conserve water, wrote on Facebook: "A nice walk in Gardens by the Bay on a cool clear morning, topped up with a welcome sprinkling of rain."
Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean posted a photograph of himself drenched and smiling after a jog in Pasir Ris, writing: "Nice to get wet!"
The nation, which had a small taste of light rain last Saturday, can expect more wet weather.
The NEA forecasts thundery afternoon showers until Wednesday, and rain over the next fortnight.
The current dry phase of the north-east monsoon is transitioning into the inter-monsoon period, which generally brings more rain. However, the NEA still expects rainfall this month to be below the March long-term average of 185.9mm.
Singapore had been in the grip of persistent dry weather since mid-January, with greenery turning dry and brown, and national water agency PUB having to pump Newater - high-grade reclaimed water - into reservoirs to keep water levels healthy.
Desalination and Newater plants have been running at near-full capacity to meet 55 per cent of the nation's water needs.
The PUB said it will review its operations accordingly and called on the public to make saving water a way of life, whatever the weather.
Meanwhile, the National Parks Board called the showers "a welcome respite" for plants.
They also helped to improve air quality worsened by haze. The three-hour PSI reading fell as low as nine at 4pm. PM2.5 levels were also vastly improved at below 20 micrograms per cubic m for much of the day, down from above 60 last Thursday.
Interior designer Janet Su, 25, used her umbrella for the first time in a month. "It has been so hot and hazy. Now with the rain, I am looking forward to tomorrow."
Showers also brought much needed respite on Sunday to parts of Malaysia, and Riau province in Sumatra, Indonesia.
