The driest month since 1869 for Singapore

Channel NewsAsia 4 Mar 14;

SINGAPORE: The prolonged dry weather affecting Singapore since mid-January 2014 has set a new record for the driest month since 1869.

At the Changi climate station, the rainfall total recorded in February 2014 was 0.2mm, breaking the previous record low of 6.3 mm in February 2010.

During the month, there were only seven days of short showers that occurred between February 7 and 19, mainly in the western parts of Singapore.

The total rainfall across 64 rainfall stations ranged from 45 per cent to 100 per cent below the long-term average of 161.0mm for February -- about half of the stations, mostly in the southern and eastern areas, recorded monthly rainfall totals below 10.0mm.

Besides being the driest month ever, February was also the most windy month in the last 30 years.

An average daily wind speed of 13.3 km/h was recorded in February.

At the Changi climate station, the average daily wind speed of 13.3 km/h recorded in February exceeded the previous high of 12.5 km/h in January 1985.

The prolonged dry conditions have also set a new record for the lowest average daily relative humidity of 74.5 per cent. The previous record low for February and any month of the year was 76.9 per cent in February 1968, and 74.6 per cent in June 2013 respectively.

NEA said the last day of significant rainfall was on February 16, when between 0.2 and 29.0mm was recorded in various parts of the island.

Since then, there has been little or no rainfall, with Singapore entering another dry spell on February 17. This follows the 27-day long dry spell between January 13 and February 8, 2014.

The highest recorded rainfall total since February 17 was 19.2mm at Lim Chu Kang Road.

The brief showers in parts of western Singapore on Monday were not widespread enough to break the current dry spell.

The dry weather affecting Singapore and the surrounding region is expected to persist in the first half of March 2014. There may be localised showers in the afternoon on a few days, and rainfall is expected to be well below average.

Fair and warm conditions are forecast for Singapore. The prevailing northeasterly winds are also forecast to remain steady over this period.

NEA said with the expected onset of the Inter-Monsoon in the second half of March 2014, the winds in the region will turn light and variable in direction. Increased rainfall can be expected in the later part of the month.

With the dry weather expected to continue, national water agency PUB has started a public campaign to urge everyone to conserve water.

PUB has sent circulars to 25,000 non-domestic customers -- including the town councils, Management Corporation Strata Title (MCSTs), commercial and industrial buildings, government buildings and schools -- to advise them to make adjustments and embark on water-saving measures.

Measures like cutting down the washing of cars and irrigation of plants, as well as switching off water features and fountains will help reduce water usage.

The public is also advised to save water by taking showers under five minutes, washing clothes on a full load and reusing water for non-potable uses.

NEA said the amount of water saved will help stretch Singapore's limited water resources longer.

The NEA and PUB will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as necessary.

- CNA/ac


Singapore endures driest month since 1869
Today Online 4 Mar 15;

SINGAPORE — The prolonged dry weather affecting Singapore since mid-January has set a new record for the driest month since 1869, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said in a statement today (March 4).

At the Changi climate station, the rainfall total recorded last month was 0.2mm, breaking the previous record of 6.3 mm in February 2010.

During the month, there were only seven days of short duration showers between Feb 7 and 19, mainly in the western parts of Singapore. The rainfall totals across 64 rainfall stations range from 45 per cent to 100 per cent below the long-term average of 161.0mm for February. About half the stations, mostly in the southern and eastern areas, recorded monthly rainfall totals below 10.0mm.

Apart from being the driest month ever, last month was also the windiest month in the last 30 years.

At the Changi climate station, the average daily wind speed of 13.3 km/hr recorded last month exceeds the previous high of 12.5 km/hr in January 1985. The prolonged dry conditions have also set a new record for the lowest average daily relative humidity of 74.5 per cent. The previous record low for February and any month of the year was 76.9 per cent (Feb 1968) and 74.6 per cent (June 2013) respectively.

The last day of significant rainfall was on Feb 16, when between 0.2 and 29.0 mm was recorded in various parts of the island. Since then, there has been little or no rainfall, with Singapore entering another period of dry spell on Feb 17. This follows the 27-day long dry spell between Jan 13 and Feb 8. The highest recorded rainfall total since Feb 17 was 19.2mm at Lim Chu Kang Road. The brief showers in parts of western Singapore yesterday were not widespread enough to break the current dry spell.

The dry weather affecting Singapore and the surrounding region is expected to persist in the first half of March 2014. There may be localised showers in the afternoon on a few days, and rainfall is expected to be well below average. Fair and warm conditions are forecast for Singapore. The prevailing northeasterly winds are also forecast to remain steady over this period. With the expected onset of the Inter-Monsoon in the second half of March 2014, the winds in the region will turn light and variable in direction. Increased rainfall can be expected in the later part of the month.

With the dry weather expected to continue, the national water agency (PUB) has started a public campaign to urge everyone to conserve water.

PUB has sent circulars to 25,000 non-domestic customers — including the town councils, Management Corporation Strata Title, commercial and industrial buildings, government buildings and schools — to advise them to make adjustments and embark on water-saving measures.

PSI inches into moderate range
Channel NewsAsia 4 Mar 14;

SINGAPORE: The Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) on Tuesday inched above 50 into the 'moderate' range for the first time in more than two months.

As of 6pm, the 3-hour PSI reading was 55.

The 3-hour PSI reading first hit 51 past 11am before going down again before 2pm.

The 24-hour PSI, which reflects PSI readings over a 24-hour period, was between 42 and 50 at 6pm.

Singapore saw its PSI reading hit a record 401, which is in the 'hazardous' range, last June.

Separately, the Ministry of Health (MOH) assured the public that there are sufficient N95 masks, if the haze returns.

Parliamentary Secretary for Health Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim gave the assurance in Parliament on Tuesday.

He said N95 masks are currently available at major retail outlets.

"If you look at the inventory of the major retailers, we have about 280,000 N95 masks...Nevertheless, for the national stockpile, we have 16 million N95 masks," said Dr Faishal.

The MOH has also worked with the People's Association on plans to distribute the N95 masks to the needy through grassroots organisations.

Dr Faishal also said the criteria for the distribution of masks will be reviewed together with the relevant ministries.

He was responding to a question by Non-Constituency Member of Parliament, Yee Jenn Jong, on the stock of N95 masks.

Dr Faishal also urged the public to follow the recommendations in health advisories issued by the Ministry of Health during a haze situation.

N95 masks are generally not needed for short exposure, such as commuting from home to school or work.

They are also not needed in an indoor environment.

- CNA/ir

Dry spells trouble
Callie Kwong The New Paper AsiaOne 5 Mar 14;

The prolonged dry spell is creating a dwindling supply situation for vegetable sellers here.

Their supplies are costing more and most sellers have absorbed the additional cost, but they are warning that they cannot do it much longer and will have to increase their prices.

Mr Law Song Nam, the vice-chairman of the Singapore Fruits and Vegetables Importers and Exporters Association, said he expects the prices of vegetables "like bok choy, kai lan and watercress to go up for us by 10 per cent" this week.

The dry spell has hit Kota Tinggi hard. This is where most of the vegetables imported from Johor are grown, said the 66-year-old.

The authorities in Malaysia have also begun rationing water in Selangor, Malaysia's most populous state, as the dry spell continues to deplete reservoirs.

The situation is affecting sellers on both sides of the Causeway.

"There are no red chillies, bitter gourds and long beans... there's just no stock," said Mr Ng Poh Xiong, 24, a vegetable stallholder in Johor Baru.

In Singapore, vegetable sellers at the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Market last week said they have also been affected.

Said a vegetable seller in his 60s who did not want to be named: "Supplies actually started decreasing one to two weeks ago, but it only became quite serious since Wednesday."

He said supply has gone down "by 20 to 30 per cent and prices have gone up".

Losses

He has not passed on the increase to customers, but said it will be hard to sustain the losses.

Another seller, who has 30 years of experience, said she imports all her vegetables from Malaysia and that prices have gone up by 10 cents to 40 cents, depending on the type of vegetable.

The seller, who did not want to be named, said the prices of those items running low in stock in Malaysia, such as red chilli, have gone up the most.

"The price of red chillies have gone up 40 cents because there is not enough water," she told The New Paper in Mandarin.

"I cannot raise the prices, customers won't buy if they (the vegetables) are too expensive. They would rather buy from supermarkets.

"I have been in the business for many years...it (the wholesale centre) used to be bustling with people, now there are few customers."

Prices in supermarket chains like FairPrice and Sheng Siong have remained constant over the week, said their respective spokesmen.

But Sheng Siong's spokesman added that it saw a 12 per cent increase in the prices of bitter gourds and long beans from Malaysia.

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority said it is monitoring the situation in Malaysia closely.

Farms

Local farmers are also feeling the effects.

"Some of my vegetables are not growing well due to the dry weather... in a month they may be problematic, and I won't be able to sell them," said Mr Wong Kok Fah, 52, the owner of Kok Fah Technology Farm.

At his farm, large amounts of soil are dug up from the ground to create rainwater catchments. Rainwater collected is used to water vegetables.

Mr Wong, who has more than 30 years of experience in the sector, said he has seen his share of dry spells, but this is the worst by far.

This is the first time his rainwater catchment levels have gone below the halfway mark, which he said is "very dangerous" as he relies solely on rainwater.

According to the National Environment Agency (NEA), just 75.4mm of rain in January and 0.2mm last month (to Feb 25) was recorded at NEA's Changi climate station, compared to the long-term averages of 242.4mm and 161mm, respectively.

Mr Wong said the remaining rainwater will last him another two weeks to one month.

"I hope the rain comes soon," he said.

Firms reel as Feb declared driest month on record
Woo Sian Boon Today Online 5 Mar 14;

SINGAPORE — With February being the driest month in Singapore since 1869, some businesses have moved to cut their water use by deferring non-essential cleaning operations, while the PUB has temporarily closed off the water play areas at Marina Barrage, Alexandra Canal and Lower Seletar Reservoir to conserve water.

Others, such as vegetable farmers, have fewer mitigation options at their disposal — their prospects of delivering a harvest next month are withering as their water supplies dwindle, and they expect to be hit hard in the pocket from higher water bills and low crop yield.

Yesterday, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said there were only seven days of short showers last month, which occurred between Feb 7 and 19, mainly in the country’s western areas, providing a brief respite from the record 27-day dry spell between Jan 13 and Feb 8.

A dry spell occurs when less than 1mm of rainfall is registered daily over an extended period of at least 15 consecutive days.

Half of Singapore’s 64 rainfall stations recorded under 10mm of rainfall, compared to the long-term average of 161mm for February. At the Changi climate station, only 0.2mm of rain was recorded last month, breaking the previous record of 6.3mm registered in February 2010.

Singapore is in the grip of another dry spell that began on Feb 17, which was not relieved by the brief showers on Monday. The PUB has sent circulars to 25,000 non-domestic customers urging them to carry out water-saving measures. Developer City Developments (CDL) is among those that have taken extra steps to manage water usage, such as by deferring scheduled external facade cleaning and turning off or shortening the operating period of some water features at its buildings.

Vegetable farmers TODAY spoke to said there was little they could do beyond turning on the tap to water their crops — a costlier move — as their irrigation ponds dry up.

Managing Director of Yili Vegetation and Trading Alan Toh, 50, said he expects his monthly water bill to double next month from the usual S$500. He estimates that the water supply from his pond will last for another three days and is putting off planting more seedlings until the situation improves. “Right now, I’m topping up my pond with tap water and recycling water by using what we use to wash our vegetables to water my crops. We are also cutting down on the amount of water we use when watering the crops,” he said.

Mr Tan Koon Hua, 45, owner of Farm 85 Trading, said the dry spell has already led to his yield dropping by “20 to 30 per cent” at his 12ha farm in Lim Chu Kang. “There’s nothing we can do except hope and pray that it will rain,” he said.

Pointing out that the farmers had faced a similar situation during a dry spell in 2008, Kranji Countryside Association President Ivy Singh-Lim said the authorities should look into long-term solutions to help them cope.

She said: “Five years ago, a similar situation happened and the authorities came in to say that they will be digging more ponds to help the farmers with their irrigation problems. But then it rained and nobody followed up after. They should be looking at long-term solutions — don’t wait for another drought to happen.”

Mrs Singh-Lim said the association members had met the PUB last Friday to discuss solutions and it had offered to sell the farmers non-potable water at S$0.25 per cubic metre. The farmers, however, will have to fork out money for trucks to transport the water.

Said Mrs Singh-Lim: “The water is very cheap ... but the trucking will cost more than S$300 (to carry about 13 cubic metres). Potable water costs, if you add all the taxes and tariffs, if worst comes to worst, costs S$2 per cubic metre. So we might as well use tap water.”

As an interim measure, she suggested the authorities partially waive the affected farmers’ water bills to help tide them over this period, such as by charging them the price of raw water instead of potable water. “The farmers will have to bite the bullet and pay, but I hope that PUB can seriously consider giving them a discount.”

The NEA reiterated that the dry weather affecting the region is expected to persist into the first half of this month, with increased rainfall only expected in the later part of March.

Health Ministry has 16 million N95 masks in national stockpile
Zhe Ying Today Online 5 Mar 14;

The Ministry of Health has 16 million N95 masks stowed away and this national stockpile will be released to retailers and grassroots organisations to meet public demand if the haze situation escalates.

This is in addition to 280,000 masks already in the inventories of major retailers here, said Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Transport Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, who shared this in Parliament yesterday in response to a question from Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Yee Jenn Jong.

Singapore’s air quality crept into the “moderate” range for the first time since August, as the three-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) readings climbed to 51 at 11am yesterday.

The 24-hour PSI reading was 44 to 51 as at 9pm, while the three-hour reading was 53. In a statement yesterday, the National Environment Agency said the slightly elevated readings were probably due to local wind convergence over land areas, contributing to the accumulation of particulate matter. Forty-eight hot spots were detected in Sumatra yesterday.

“For the next few days, the prevailing north-easterly winds will keep any transboundary haze from Sumatra away from Singapore. However, we may experience occasional slight haze due to the accumulation of particulate matter under stable atmospheric conditions,” an NEA spokesperson said.

Last year, when the Republic experienced its worst-ever haze episode, N95 masks were sold out at some retail outlets, sparking off panic and frustration. Singapore had a stockpile of nine million masks last June, of which 4.15 million were distributed in the same month.

Yesterday, Associate Professor Faishal assured that sufficient masks are available, noting that 1.7 million masks were “forward-positioned” to retailers and the community centres and clubs in January due to heightened volcanic activity in Indonesia.

Asked by Mr Yee about N95 masks for children, Assoc Prof Faishal said there is currently no such model in the market, adding that N95 masks are generally not needed for periods of short exposure such as commuting.

“Nevertheless we are very mindful about our workers, especially those doing essential services. We have worked with organisations to look at how we can facilitate the distribution and usage of N95 masks when the haze situation comes to a very unhealthy situation,” he said.

Few drops if rain not a reason to splash away
Feng Zengkun and Audrey Tan The Straits Times 6 Mar 14;

SINGAPORE - Despite the brief but welcome return of rain to Singapore on Monday, heavy water users such as town councils and petrol station car wash operators vowed to press on with conservation measures.

Shell even took the precaution of watering the dry grass patches around its petrol stations to prevent potential fire hazards.

At least five of Singapore's 16 town councils have reduced their neighbourhood cleaning or implemented water-saving plans after the dry spell from Jan 13 to Feb 8 - one of the longest on record.

Shell and Exxon Mobil have also told their service attendants, such as car wash operators, to conserve water. A manual car wash attendant at an SPC petrol station in Braddell said part of its washing process used to involve splashing buckets of water on the cars.

He and his colleagues now use a hose that sprays less water.

Ang Mo Kio Town Council (TC) chairman Lam Pin Min said its water-saving measures - which include telling contractors to use rain and drainage water for plants and shrubs - will remain for now.

"It's great news that it rained," he told The Straits Times on Monday after the brief drizzle in western Singapore. "Hopefully this is not transient and there will be more rain in the coming weeks.

"But meanwhile we will still advise the contractors to exercise due care when using water."

Holland-Bukit Panjang TC will wash its multi-storey carparks "as and when required" instead of monthly, while Moulmein-Kallang TC will mop common areas "where feasible" instead of washing them, among other measures.

Tampines TC has stopped washing its common corridors and staircases. Its chairman, Mr Baey Yam Keng, urged residents to help keep the areas clean. "Due to the prolonged dry weather, Tampines Town Council is doing its part to conserve water," he said in a Facebook post on Monday.

Pasir Ris-Punggol TC chairman Zainal Sapari called for the suspension of monthly block washing, although it will still wash blocks selectively when needed.

He told The Straits Times this reduced cleaning will continue, adding: "Some slight rain doesn't mean the dry spell is over."

The National Environment Agency previously estimated that the dry spell would "persist into the first half of March". It stuck to this forecast on Monday after the showers, but added that while "mainly fair and warm" weather is expected for the next few days, rain may fall in western Singapore in the late afternoon on Tuesday.

National water agency PUB said it will continue to encourage businesses and people to conserve water. It has sent advice to nearly 400 home owners with high water usage, offering tips such as taking showers within five minutes, putting thimbles on taps and washing vegetables in a filled sink rather than under a running tap.

In the past two weeks, it has also started giving out 25,000 advisories to heavy water users such as shopping malls, hotels, wafer fabrication plants and landscaping firms.

The advisories urge them to reduce water use with measures such as switching off water features like fountains, and re-using water for non-drinking purposes.

When seven hotels including Marina Bay Sands and The Westin Singapore were asked whether they would roll out additional water- saving measures in the light of the dry weather, they pointed only to existing ones, such as installing low-flow tap and shower fittings, that had been implemented before the dry spell.

Two of the hotels, Hotel Fort Canning and Parkroyal On Pickering, said however that they have started reminding guests of the dry weather when explaining their water-saving policies. These include changing bed sheets and linen only on alternate days unless instructed otherwise.

Surprise showers all too brief

Unexpected light showers fell across western Singapore late Monday afternoon, in the first significant rainfall since early last month.

Drizzle fell briefly from 4.45pm to 5.30pm, bringing relief in Jurong, Tuas and Choa Chu Kang.

The Meteorological Service Singapore said the 0.2mm to 15.2mm of rain that fell was caused by local winds in the area converging.

But "dry weather conditions are expected to persist in the first half of March", it reiterated.

Residents found their joy as short-lived as the rain.

"I was so happy," said Jurong West resident Madam Rasidah Mohd Nor, 54. "But after only 20 minutes it stopped. Now it's hot again and the roads have already dried up."

February sets record as driest month since 1869
David Ee The Straits Times AsiaOne 7 Mar 14;

SINGAPORE - Bone-dry February has entered the record books as the country's driest month in nearly 150 years, and the windiest in three decades, according to the National Environment Agency (NEA).

A paltry 0.2mm of rain was recorded last month at Changi climate station.

This is the least that has fallen since 1869, and is well below the previous record of 6.3mm recorded in February 2010 and the mean February rainfall of 161mm.

Rain fell on just seven days, with about half of the NEA's 64 rainfall stations recording under 10mm of rain. Average wind speeds, meanwhile, gusted at 13.3kmh, versus the February average of 8.8kmh.

The second month of the year typically has cool, windy and drier weather, owing to the dry phase of the north-east monsoon.

Indeed, last month was also one of the least humid, the NEA said yesterday. The mean daily relative humidity of 74.5 per cent was the lowest ever, shaving the previous record of 74.6 per cent measured last June.

Humidity in Singapore usually averages between 82 and 87 per cent. But mean daily maximum temperatures edged up nearly a degree to 31.9 deg C.

National University of Singapore weather researcher Winston Chow said the extent of dryness last month was "worrying", but without more research cannot be seen as a sign of things to come.

At Changi Sailing Club, the winds were a boon for sailors but caused havoc at the Coachman Inn Restaurant. Manager Steven Lim said: "We had tablecloths blowing away, glasses breaking."

Yet diners made the most of the breeze so business went up by 30 per cent, he said.

The dry spell lasted 27 days from Jan 13 to Feb 8, making it one of the longest on record.

The NEA said the country is in a second dry spell now, defined as a period of more than 14 days with less than 1mm of rain, taking into account readings at all of its rainfall stations.

The brief showers on Monday "were not widespread enough" to break the dry spell, it said, without explaining fully.

National water agency PUB has sent 25,000 circulars asking organisations to save water.

The lack of rain has affected fruit harvests in Malaysia, and some sellers in Singapore have raised the prices of watermelons and papayas by as much as 25 per cent.

More of the same fair, warm and windy conditions are expected till mid-March, with rain predicted towards the month's end.