Expect a hot and dry start to March: Weatherman

Expect a hot and dry start to March: Weatherman

Sweaters may not see as much use soon as the weather is expected to get warm and dry in the first half of March.

Daily maximum temperatures over this period are forecast climb to 35 deg C, with the temperature on most days ranging between 24 deg C and 34 deg C, the weatherman said in its latest forecast on Friday (Feb 28).

The forecast reads dry and warm as the current north-east monsoon and low-level winds from the north gradually weaken around the end of the first two weeks of March.

While there may be thundery showers in the afternoons on some days, it is expected to rain less than normal.

The hot and dry forecast comes on the heels of a windy February in which north-east monsoon conditions prevailed over Singapore, according to the review of February's weather by the National Environment Agency's Meteorological Service Singapore.

February 2020 was the second windiest February since records started in 1984. At the the Changi climate station, the average daily wind speed recorded was 13kmh, which was 0.7kmh slower than the windiest February on record in 2014.

Most parts of Singapore recorded less rainfall in February 2020 than normal.

While the monsoon rain band remained south of the equator, and there was not much rain in the first week of February, most days for the rest of the month had brief showers over parts of the island.

The highest rainfall collected in a day occurred at Tuas on Feb 10 as it poured in the late afternoon and evening.

As of Thursday, the highest temperature recorded was 35.5 deg C on Feb 16 in Admiralty, while the lowest temperature plummeted to as low as 22.8 deg C.

At the Changi climate station, the mean temperature for the month was 27.8 deg C, 0.7 deg C higher than February's long-term average temperature.

~The Straits Times~