Here’s Why It Has Been So Hot & Humid at Night Recently

You should know by now that it’s been very hot recently.

But why?

Watch this video to know why:

Prefer to read? Well, here you go.

The Southwest Monsoon

First of all, it’s not because of the sun. Before anything makes sense, you need to know this: Singapore has seasons.

Kind of.

They’re called monsoon seasons. You can think of them as predictable, large winds that blow around Singapore throughout the year, depending on how the sun heats up the sea and land differently.

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These winds give us four monsoon seasons in Singapore. Or just two, if you don’t count the inter-monsoon periods.

From December to March, we have the Northeast Monsoon. It starts off with lots of rain in December and January, and then turns hot from February to March.

After that comes a transition called the Inter-Monsoon season, from late March to May. This period is hot, but still bearable.

Then from June to September, we’re in the Southwest Monsoon season. And this season? Let me describe it in six words. Hot. Hotter. Hottest. Hotly hottest. Hotter hottest. Mother of all Hotness.

From October to December, we go back into another Inter-Monsoon season, which is not that hot.

So right now, we’re in the Southwest Monsoon season, which is the super-hot season.

And just so you know, this heat will last until September. Also, haze might come during this period too, because forest fires happen more often now.

So now for the burning question. Why is it so hot specifically at night?

Why So Hot At Night?

Nights are usually cooler because the sun is no longer heating the ground.

Normally, even in hot months like May, nights are still cool enough that you don’t need air-con.

But recently, nights have become much, much hotter.

Why?

Since the start of this Southwest Monsoon, the Meteorological Service Singapore has warned us. In early June, they said, “The nights are likely to be warm and humid. On several nights, temperatures may stay above 29 degrees Celsius.”

In mid-June, they repeated this, but it sounded even more dramatic: “Most nights may also be warm and humid, and the temperatures may stay above 28 degrees Celsius.”

The keyword here is humid.

Remember I mentioned that monsoons are just big winds blowing around? During the Southwest Monsoon, these big winds pass over seas that are already warm.

So what happens is the wind becomes hot and humid. And then it blows into Singapore. That’s why the air around us becomes hot and humid.

But why do we only feel the heat at night?

Actually, the hot and humid air is already around us during the day. But during the day, the sun is so hot that we don’t feel the humidity as much. It gets drowned out by the scorching sun.

At night, the sun is gone. And that’s when you start to feel the full force of the hot and humid air. That’s why you lie in bed sweating and thinking of sleeping inside your fridge.

But what is humid air?

Humid air simply means the air is full of moisture. Like, really full.

When it’s hot, your body sweats to cool down. But when the air is humid, your sweat doesn’t evaporate easily. The air is already filled with water, so the sweat just stays on your skin.

This makes you feel hotter. You sweat more. But it still doesn’t cool you down. And the whole cycle repeats itself. That’s why hot and humid air feels worse than just hot air.

Therefore, yes: the solution now is…to wait till September.

Would you be jailed for being half-naked in public? Well, the answer will shock you. Seriously. Watch this to the end and you'll understand:

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