Singapore, 31 December 2021 – The prevailing Northeast Monsoon conditions in the region are forecast to persist into January 2022, with low-level winds blowing from the northwest or northeast. At the start of the new year, a high-pressure system over the northern Asian continent is expected to strengthen and bring wetter and cooler conditions to the region.

2          The strengthening of the high-pressure system is expected to bring a surge of strong north-easterly winds (or monsoon surge[1]) over the South China Sea. The surge will last for a few days and will likely bring cooler conditions with occasional spells of moderate to heavy thundery showers over Singapore and the surrounding vicinity. Thereafter, localised thundery showers are forecast in the afternoon. The rainy weather is likely to ease in the second week of the fortnight. Localised short-duration thundery showers can still be expected in the afternoon on several days, and warm and occasionally windy conditions with passing showers on a few days. Overall, the rainfall for the first half of January 2022 is expected to be slightly above average over most parts of the island.

3          The rainy weather in early January 2022 is likely to result in lower daily temperatures of between 23 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius on a few days. For the rest of the fortnight, the daily temperatures are forecast to range between 24 degrees Celsius and 33 degrees Celsius. The daily maximum temperature may still reach a high of up to 34 degrees Celsius on a few days.

4          For updates of the daily weather forecast, please visit the MSS website (www.weather.gov.sg), NEA website (www.nea.gov.sg), or download the myENV app.

REVIEW (1 – 30 December 2021)

5          In December 2021, Northeast Monsoon conditions prevailed over Singapore and the surrounding region. During this period, the low-level winds blew from the northwest or northeast.

6        While December is climatologically a wetter month than November, December 2021 was drier compared to November 2021. The Northeast Monsoon brought relatively windy conditions with passing showers to Singapore and the surrounding region on most days in the first half of the month. Short-duration thundery showers fell over parts of the island in the afternoon on most days in the second half of December 2021. On a few days, large-scale convergence of winds over Singapore and the surrounding vicinity brought widespread moderate to heavy thundery showers. On the night of 18 December 2021, intense thundery showers fell over many parts of the island. The daily total rainfall recorded that day was 82.6 mm around the Pulau Ubin area. This was the highest total rainfall in a day for December 2021.

7          The daily temperature in December 2021 ranged between 22.1 degrees Celsius and 34.8 degrees Celsius. The highest daily maximum temperature of 34.8 degrees Celsius was recorded on 1 December at Tengah. On 2 December 2021, the passage of a Sumatra squall brought rainy weather and cloudy skies to Singapore, and the minimum temperature at Jurong dropped to a low of 22.1 degrees Celsius.

8          At the Changi climate station, the daily maximum temperature of 33.9 degrees Celsius recorded on 1 December 2021 was the highest daily maximum temperature ever recorded at our climate station in December. The mean monthly temperature of 27.7 degrees Celsius (as of 30 Dec 2021) was 0.9 degrees Celsius warmer than the long-term December mean temperature.

9          Singapore received below-average rainfall in December 2021. The highest anomaly of 71 per cent below average was recorded at Seletar. The lowest anomaly of 7 per cent below average was at Jurong Pier.

CLIMATE STATION STATISTICS

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METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE SINGAPORE
31 December 2021

[1] A monsoon surge refers to a strengthening of winds over the South China Sea, causing extensive rainclouds to form over our surrounding region.

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