Today's weather for Singapore, Singapore22nd Nov 2009 04:30

back to top

Weather Overview for Singapore

Singapore has a tropical rainforest climate with almost no seasonal variation. It is always hot; it is always humid; it rains a lot. Need I say more? Not really.

Daily high temperatures hover perpetually around 30°C, while night time lows rarely stray far from 23°C. High humidity makes this as uncomfortable as it sounds; tropical conditions take some time to acclimatise to. It is not particularly sunny in Singapore due to regular rainfall and regular hazy conditions caused by pollution and smoke from forest fires being blown over from Indonesia. However, it is important to remember that whatever the sky looks like, the UV index is very high and the risk of sunburn is high; high factor sun block should be applied before venturing outdoors.

The country is subject to two monsoon seasons, with intermediate pre-monsoon periods of slightly reduced rainfall. High rain levels are responsible for the lush rainforest that still occupies a small but not insignificant chunk of the island. Urban areas channel these huge volumes of water into humungous monsoon drains. Rainfall is not a mere irritation in the Singapore; it is a major event. Rain falls in thick sheets from a black sky, obliterating visibility and flooding walkways. While intelligent urban design allows the country to function incredibly efficiently during storms, nothing can help  pedestrian caught without an umbrella, soaked in seconds, running blindly towards the nearest form of shelter – usually a harshly air-conditioned shopping mall – later to write home about hypothermia in the tropics.

Pre-Southwest Monsoon Season – March till May

Rainfall is usually limited to heavy early evening showers or thunderstorms. The end of this season is considered a good time to visit due to slightly reduced rainfall and humidity. Winds are not very strong.

Southwest Monsoon Season – June till September

Early on in this season is considered the best time to visit Singapore as it is infinitesimally drier than at other times of year. Rain is usually blown in on southwest or southeast winds as it approaches midday. The wind is often very strong in the mornings. Haze is most likely at this time of year.

Pre-Northeast Monsoon Season – October and November

A cool sea breeze helps to temper the afternoon heat, often followed by storms into the evening. Winds are generally reduced.

Northeast Monsoon Season – December till March

Strong winds from the northeast bring the heaviest of the year’s rain. Mornings are often clear but cloudy conditions prevail most of the time and the rain can be relentless, lasting for days without a break. The winds can become very violent and are at their worst in January and February.

The lack of change in Singapore’s weather conditions from season to season is due its latitudinal position; the country is almost bang on the equator. It is also the smallest country in Southeast Asia, an island surrounded by water which also helps to moderate the temperature at all times. Most of Singapore is quite low-lying which makes it even more susceptible to maritime effects. Bukit Timah, the highest hill in Singapore at 164 m, sits in the northwest of the main island, which is generally quite hilly while the eastern areas are mostly flat. As a result there is some regional variation in Singapore’s weather; western regions are wetter and than eastern regions due to the rain shadow of the hills. Singapore City is located on the island’s south coast, right in the middle, and is afforded some of the hills’ protection.

While the country is often wet and unpredictable, outside of the northeast monsoon season storms are usually brief. Whatever anyone says about Singapore’s cultural delights or natural beauty, the tiny economic powerhouse is a place for shopping and eating, and the weather is unlikely to hinder these activities. As stated above, the efficiency of Singapore’s infrastructure is such that normal life can continue almost unhindered in the heavy rains; most visitors will stick to the brilliant MRT train system for getting around and these are unaffected. Traffic jams often occur, but this is a result of it being an over-crowded city, simply exacerbated by difficult driving conditions. Storms offer a relief from the heat and can even be a source of excitement. Singapore is not the place for a beach holiday, as its beaches are not comparable to those of nearby Thailand or Malaysia’s east coast islands, and so the regular, but not constant, interruption of blue skies by clouds and haze is forgivable. A beautifully landscaped pool is a more usual destination for tranquillity than East Coast Beach, the most popular local beach.

Singapore is growing physically as well as economically, slowly reclaiming land from the sea that surrounds it. It should be pointed out that Sentosa, advertised as tropical paradise, is manmade and, while heavily planted with native plants, still feels highly artificial. Sentosa is a fantastic place for young children as the range of activities on offer are sure to appeal to their imaginations, but adults are likely to cringe. The city itself is a modern, cosmopolitan area, well-designed and very clean. Singapore has made great strides over the last fifty years to become the city it is today, though the success story does not include every part of Singaporean society; it has been suggested that the Singaporean government is just as efficient at hiding problems as it is at solving them. This is unlikely to affect your visit; it is very hard to scratch beneath the surface of Singapore.

The roti canai is better in Malaysia.

back to top