Generally dry, warm weather expected in second half of October: NEA

Towards the end of October, wetter weather conditions can be expected with afternoon thunderstorms on four to six days in the last fortnight of the month.
Channel NewsAsia 16 Oct 15;

SINGAPORE: Generally dry and warm weather can be expected in the second fortnight of October, with the maximum daily temperature forecast to be between 34 and 35‎°Celsius, according to the National Environment Agency (NEA) on Friday (Oct 16).

The agency added that towards the end of the month, wetter weather conditions can be expected with afternoon thunderstorms on four to six days "due to strong daytime heating of land areas coupled with convergence of winds over Singapore and the surrounding region".

However, the rainfall for October is likely to be below normal.

In the first fortnight of October, southwest monsoon conditions prevailed with thunderstorms affecting the island mainly in the late morning and afternoon. Most of the showers fell in the first week of the month with rainfall heaviest on Oct 2, where 84 millimetres of rain was recorded around Tuas.

HAZY CONDITIONS TO PERSIST

Hazy conditions can still be expected on Saturday, and the situation could deteriorate, said the NEA in a separate advisory on Friday.

The 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) for the next 24 hours is expected to be “in the low end of the Unhealthy range and may enter the mid-section of the Unhealthy range”, the agency added.

Air quality in Singapore deteriorated on Friday due to prevailing winds blowing in haze from Kalimantan in Indonesia, and the conditions are expected to persist for the rest of the day, said NEA in an advisory.

Seven hotspots were detected in Sumatra on Friday, and some haze from Sumatra and Kalimantan was observed to have spread to the sea areas south of Singapore.

Given the air quality forecast for the next 24 hours, NEA advised the public to reduce prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion. The elderly, pregnant women and children should minimise such activity, while those with chronic lung or heart disease should avoid it altogether, NEA added.

- CNA/hs