Today Online 1 Aug 19;
SINGAPORE — Expect an occasional haze in the first fortnight of this month, the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) warned, after hotspots with smoke plumes were observed in central Sumatra and southern Kalimantan in Indonesia in recent days.
In a weather update on Thursday (Aug 1), the MSS said that the haze may affect Singapore depending on the direction of the prevailing winds and locations of the fire.
As for the weather during the fortnight, it is forecast to be drier than that in the second half of July.
Despite the upcoming drier conditions, localised short-duration thundery showers may still be expected on four or five days in the late morning and early afternoon.
Sumatra squalls — a line of thunderstorms that develops at night over Sumatra or the Malacca Straits — are forecast to bring thundery showers and gusty winds in the morning on one to two days, with rainfall in the coming fortnight “likely to be well-below normal”, the MSS said.
The first fortnight of August is expected to be as warm as the last fortnight of July, with daily temperature set to range between 26°C and 33°C.
On some days, daily temperature could exceed 34°C.
“In addition, on some nights, warm and humid conditions with night-time minimum temperatures of around 28°C can be expected when prevailing winds blowing from the south-east bring in warm air from the surrounding seas,” the MSS said.
Looking back at July, the daily maximum temperature last month ranged between 28.7°C and 34.5°C.
“At the climate station in Changi, the monthly average temperature for July was 29°C,” the MSS noted.
This puts it as the second warmest July on record since temperature records began in 1929, it added.
The warmest was in July 2015, with an average temperature of 29.1°C.
Read more at https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/after-record-warm-july-time-brace-occasional-haze-august
Expect dry and warm weather, with possible haze, in August
Prisca Ang Straits Times 1 Aug 19;
SINGAPORE - Warm and dry weather conditions can be expected to continue in August after a record dry July, the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) said on Thursday (Aug 1).
The weather in the next two weeks is forecast to be drier than the last two weeks of July. It may also be windy on some days, and there could be showers for a short period of time in certain places on four or five days.
The rainfall in the next two weeks is likely to be "well-below normal", said the MSS.
The next two weeks are expected to be as warm as the last two weeks of July.
The daily temperature is forecast to range between 26 and 33 deg C, and it could exceed 34 deg C on some days.
On several nights, warm and humid conditions can be expected, with miminum temperatures of about 28 deg C.
The surrounding region is also expected to experience dry weather in the coming weeks. Hot spots with smoke plumes have been observed in central Sumatra and southern Kalimantan in recent days.
Depending on the direction of prevailing winds and location of the fires, Singapore may experience occasional haze in the next two weeks.
DRIEST JULY ON RECORD
At the Changi climate station, the total rainfall recorded for July was 12.2mm, making it the driest July in Singapore since rainfall records began in 1869. The previous record was 18.6mm set in July 1997.
It was also a warm month, with the monthly average temperature hitting 29 deg C. This ranks the month as the second warmest July since temperature records began in 1929.
The warmest July was recorded in 2015 with an average temperature of 29.1 deg C.
