More Lightning & Rain in 1st Half of April; Mostly in the Afternoon

You know how the saying goes: April showers bring May flowers.

And April showers indeed.

The Northeast Monsoon which brought us our lovely Singaporean sweater weather is expected to gradually weaken and end with the coming of the inter-monsoon conditions in the first half of April 2021.

During the inter-monsoon period, warm weather and thundery showers in the afternoon and early evening are common.

Warm Weather and Thundery Showers

The Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) reports that short-duration moderate to heavy thundery showers with frequent lightning are expected over parts of the island in the afternoon on most days.

On a few of these days, with strong convergence of winds in the surrounding vicinity, the thundery showers could extend into the early evening.

This is because the monsoon rain band is forecasted to lie close to the equatorial Southeast Asian region in the first two weeks of April.

The agency also notes that there’ll be more lighting during this time of year as it is the inter-monsoon season.

For those who lack the protection of sheltered walkways on their way to school work, be sure to bring an umbrella with you or face the wrath of the weather.

In the coming fortnight, prevailing winds are predicted to blow from the west in a few days. The eastward passage of a Sumatra squall from the Strait of Malacca could bring thundery showers with gusty winds over Singapore on one or two mornings.

Overall, the rainfall for the first fortnight of April 2021 is expected to be near normal over most parts of the island.

Rain and heat barely mix well, so April being one of the warmest months in the year climatologically is truly a pain.

On most days in the first half of April 2021, the daily temperature is forecast to range between 25°C and 34°C.

The daily maximum temperature could reach a high of around 35°C. *Shudders* (or *sweats*, rather.)

March Showers

I’m sure you would’ve also noticed that the last two weeks of March gave us some respite from the heat.

Thundery showers poured down in the afternoons, mostly on the western parts of the island.

I would know because I got stuck in the rain. Twice.

MSS adds that the wet weather was due to strong day-time heating of land areas coupled with the convergence of winds either over Singapore or the surrounding vicinity.

23 March 2021 was a particularly wet day. The daily total rainfall recorded that day was 151.5mm at Jurong West—the highest daily rainfall for the month of March.

Well, that explains all the flooding.

Featured Image: Christian Heinz / Shutterstock.com