Businesses hit, sports and travel disrupted by incessant rain

The incessant rain that has fallen over the past two days has cast a pall over the country, especially in places like the Singapore Island Country Club (SICC) and the beaches of Sentosa.

- Sherlyn Sim and Gabrielle Andres

The monsoon surge, which began on March 19 and is expected to last till March 21, has seen warnings of flash floods and resulted in disruptions to many businesses and outdoor activities.

The mercury dipped to 21.9 deg C in Tuas South at about 10am on March 20.

Over the two days as at 7pm on March 20, Jurong West recorded the highest total amount of rainfall at 318mm. In eastern Singapore, the highest amount of rainfall was 298.4mm. These amounts are more than Singapore's average monthly rainfall of 209.7mm in March, said PUB, the national water agency.

A 15m stretch along the intersection of Mountbatten Road and Jalan Seaview experienced flooding at about 2pm on March 20 for about two hours. There was also flooding within the premises of a nearby property.

Meanwhile, golf clubs such as SICC, Keppel and Sentosa suspended play or closed their courses over March 19 and 20.

The opening round of a professional golf tournament, the US$2.5 million (S$3.3 million) Porsche Singapore Classic, scheduled for March 20, was rained out. Organisers of the DP World Tour event at the Laguna National Golf Resort Club said it would now take place on March 21, with the second round set for March 22.

Over on Sentosa, Ola Beach Club at Siloso Beach saw only 10 per cent of its usual crowd on the afternoon of March 20, said its staff member, Ms Gwen Tan.

The drop in business at the club, which also has a restaurant and bar, has had a knock-on effect: It has had to stop hiring part-timers to help deal with the crowd.