Stifling heat expected to ease with onset of south-west monsoon

Winds are set to be stronger, more regular compared with the inter-monsoon season

- Zachary Lim

Some relief from the stifling heat is expected in the coming weeks with the onset of windier conditions during the south-west monsoon season.

The Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS), under the National Environment Agency, said on June 2 that winds over Singapore are expected to strengthen and blow from the south-east or south-west in early June.

The Republic was previously in the throes of the inter-monsoon season, when winds were light and variable. The light winds and occasional clear skies had made hot afternoons common, the weatherman told The Straits Times.

April and May are usually the warmest months of the year.

Professor Matthias Roth, who teaches urban climatology at the National University of Singapore (NUS), said the stronger and more regular winds that come with the monsoon may lower air temperatures slightly, following the high temperatures in May.

The MSS noted that daily maximum temperatures registered above 35 deg C at some locations between May 23 and 28. The highest daily maximum temperature of 36.2 deg C was recorded in Paya Lebar on May 24.

"Although heat and humidity levels will remain high, the breezier conditions should offer some relief, making people feel more comfortable compared with the hot and often stifling inter-monsoon period," Prof Roth said.

ST explains how the monsoon seasons affect weather in Singapore, and how people can cope with rising temperatures.

WHAT IS THE SOUTH-WEST MONSOON SEASON?

This season, usually experienced in Singapore between June and September, is marked by winds blowing mainly from the south and south-east.

This period is considered the traditional dry season for the southern Asean region, where countries such as Indonesia are located.

It is also often the season when the region experiences haze, although