10 Projects to Improve Weather Forecasts in Singapore

New alliance will undertake research to strengthen climate and weather science

- Shabana Begum

Using high-tech tools, scientists in Singapore will one day be able to predict a thunderstorm over a specific neighbourhood days in advance — rather than just in minutes or hours today — and provide early warnings of hazardous heat and flash floods.

These are among 10 research projects that will be undertaken to improve weather forecasting here and in South-east Asia, under a new alliance to strengthen climate and weather science.

While it is already challenging to accurately forecast the weather in the tropics — due to the complex interplay of large-scale and local weather patterns — climate change will cause weather events to become more erratic.

On Sept 5, the National Environment Agency (NEA) launched the Climate and Weather Research Alliance Singapore, a multi-institute platform that also aims to grow a talent pool of climate scientists.

The 10 projects are the backbone of the new alliance and will be funded under a $25 million research programme announced in early 2025.

Speaking at the launch of the alliance, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Janil Puthucheary noted that maritime South-east Asia is the "engine room" of the world's climate. The region influences monsoons and the warming El Nino climate phenomenon, for example, with far-reaching global impacts.