Heavier Rain Expected in the Next Two Months Due to a Weather Phenomenon

By
Shawn Ambrose
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In the last couple of weeks or so, we’ve been too busy taking naps to do anything else.

This is largely thanks to the clouds, which have been unleashing oceans of water onto the city lately.

The cool weather is nice when you’re at home, but when you’re headed to work or school and get stuck in a flooded junction, not so much.

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Well, whether you like the wet weather or not, it looks like it’s here to stay.

Heavier Rain Expected in the Next Two Months Due to a Weather Phenomenon

We might just forget how hot Singapore can be over the next two months, because heavier rain is expected during this period.

According to figures from the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS), this month is already the third wettest August since 1991.

Woah.

The downpours are predicted to continue until October this year, at which point we’ll probably start yearning for sunny days again.

So, what is the cause of this?

Indian Ocean Dipole

The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) sounds like the name of someone who had quirky parents, but it’s actually a weather phenomenon where there’s a difference in sea surface temperature between two areas or poles, hence the term dipole.

For countries in the eastern end of the Indian Ocean basin, like Singapore, the IOD brings more rainfall.

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There are three phases in this phenomenon: neutral, positive, negative.

In the negative phase, winds that are blowing towards the eastern end of the Indian ocean pick up, causing the water there to increase in temperature.

And since the water is warm, this leads to the formation of more rain clouds, meaning we’ll all have to cancel our picnic plans.

We’re currently in the negative phase, which is predicted to go on till October.

Flash Floods Leads to Evacuations in Traffic Junction

There was perhaps no greater demonstration in Singapore on the importance of efficient draining systems in cities than the downpour on 20 Aug.

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The rains were so heavy that they flooded the junction of Tampines Avenue 10 and Pasir Ris Drive 12, leaving motorists and passengers stuck in the wet mess.

The Singapore Civil Defence had to intervene, and evacuated five people from four vehicles and brought them to sheltered areas nearby.

Before the officers arrived, 25 other motorists and passengers had evacuated from their vehicles.

The SCDF said one person was taken to Changi General Hospital for “leg pains”.

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Featured Image: MACH Photos / Shutterstock.com

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Shawn Ambrose
Email: [email protected]