Singapore has shifted to a new higher temperature, and it will continue to rise, says Dr Muhammad Eeqmal Looming possibility of El Nino could send mercury soaring to new heights, say experts
Chang Ai-Lien Straits Times 22 Mar 19;
Brace yourself for a sizzling 2019.
With the temperature-boosting El Nino weather phenomenon a looming possibility, this year could see temperatures soaring to new heights, say Singapore's climate experts. "We're noting a rising temperature trend in the Pacific, especially under the ocean, so we're poised for El Nino," Dr Muhammad Eeqmal Hassim, senior research scientist at the Centre for Climate Research Singapore, told The Straits Times.
"The signs are there. We just need a kick start, such as a westerly wind burst, for it to happen."
Warm is the new norm, according to the centre under the Meteorological Service Singapore, which released its annual climate assessment report today.
In fact, in a worrying sign of things to come, the country's coolest month this decade - at 26.9 deg C - was the same temperature as the hottest month in the 1970s.
Consistently above-average temperatures, though punctuated by a brief cool spell, made last year the eighth warmest year on record here. The mean annual temperature was 27.9 deg C - 0.2 deg C warmer than the year before.
This despite the fact that 2018 was, in fact, hit by La Nina - which is known for bringing with it cooler temperatures - albeit a weak episode.
El Nino is associated with hotter and drier weather in the region, and an El Nino event, if any, usually develops from the middle of the year.
The top five warmest years on record here, Dr Muhammad pointed out, had all been strong El Nino years, with No. 6 and No. 7 on the list experiencing a weak El Nino effect.
So for last year to climb to eighth warmest on record, despite the absence of the El Nino effect, was significant.
In a sign of the long-term ongoing warming in the country due to climate change and urbanisation, Singapore's top 10 warmest years have all occurred in the past 25 years, and the last 10 years (2009 to 2018) were the warmest ever.
"We've shifted to a new higher temperature, and it will continue to rise," said Dr Muhammad.
When and whether itstabilises is hard to predict, but each individual has a part to play in tipping the balance, he emphasised.
If nothing is done, Singapore and the world will experience more weather extremes, including flooding, drought and heatwaves, he warned.
On its end, the Government is throwing its weight behind efforts to protect the country and provide for its survival - in the areas of water, making the most of waste, food and climate-change research.
But individuals have a significant part to play too, said Dr Muhammad.
This could be as simple as changing from halogen light bulbs to LED ones, for instance, which use much less electricity, or opting for public transport instead of driving, and setting the air-conditioner to 25 to 26 deg C rather than 19 deg C.
Pointing to Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg, 16, who went on a solo climate strike last August and inspired more than one million students around the globe to skip school last week in a similar protest, he said: "It's encouraging how one person with conviction can galvanise action around the world.
"If everybody gets in on the act, the collective effort will make the difference."
2018 was 8th warmest year on record for Singapore
FARIS MOKHTAR Today Online 22 Mar 19;
SINGAPORE — With 11 out of 12 months recording above-average temperatures, 2018 was the joint eighth warmest year for Singapore since temperature records started in 1929, the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) said.
These are “signs of the long-term ongoing warming in Singapore”, it said in its annual Climate Assessment Report released on Friday (March 22).
Last year, the annual mean temperature was 27.9°C — this was 0.4°C higher than the 1981-2010 long-term average, and 0.2°C warmer than 2017.
The period from 2009 to 2018 was also the warmest decade in Singapore ever recorded.
The mean temperature of 27.89°C superseded the previous warmest decade between 1997 and 2006 by a very small margin of 0.02°C, the MSS said.
SHORT COOL SPELL
Above-average temperatures were recorded in all months last year, except for January.
During that month, Singapore experienced an extended cool spell of five consecutive days from Jan 10 to 14.
This was due to frequent rain from monsoon surges and localised thunderstorms. Monsoon surges occur when there is a sudden increase in wind speed, causing cold air to surge southwards into the South China Sea.
Despite the cool start to 2018, the year ended on a notably warm note. The month of December saw a recorded temperature of 27.6°C, which is 1.2°C warmer than the long-term average.
This made it the second warmest December since 1929, behind December 2015, when the mercury hit 27.7°C.
JOINT EIGHTH WARMEST YEAR
Last year's annual mean temperature of 27.9°C made it the joint eighth warmest year on record for the country — the other years being 2004, 2009 and 2014.
The hottest year on record was 2016, with an annual mean temperature of 28.4°C.
The years 2015, 1998 and 1997 shared the joint second spot with a recorded annual mean temperature of 28.3°C.
STRONGEST GUST OF WIND RECORDED SINCE 2010
Though it was warm throughout the year, the MSS said that 2018 also saw the strongest gust of wind recorded since 2010, which was 133.3km/h.
This took place on March 30, when a thunderstorm that developed over the Malaysian state of Johor moved south-east and intensified over the western part of Singapore.
The strong winds later caused substantial damage to chicken farms located in Lim Chu Kang.
