Less haze, more rain expected as dry season ends

Less haze, more rain expected as dry season ends

SINGAPORE can expect more rain and less haze in the coming weeks, as the south-west monsoon season comes to an end.

It will be followed by an inter- monsoon season typically lasting from October to November and characterised by more rainfall as well as light and variable winds.

In its weather forecast yesterday, the Meteorological Service Singapore said this transitional period signals the end of the traditional dry season in the region.

The likelihood of transboundary haze affecting Singapore for the rest of the year will be low, it said, as the increased rainfall will help alleviate the fires creating hot spots and haze in Sumatra and Kalimantan in Indonesia.

The Met Service said Singapore may experience occasional slight haze, mainly in the morning, on some days because of the accumulation of particulate matter in the air under light wind conditions.

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But even this will dissipate with the onset of the rainy season during the north-east monsoon in early December, it added.

The Met Service also gave an update on the El Nino weather phenomenon based on forecasts from global climate models, saying that a weak El Nino is likely to develop towards the end of this year or early next year.

But past El Nino events that had formed at that time of the year have been shown to have less impact on rainfall patterns in Singapore and the nearby region, it said.

The phenomenon refers to the abnormal warming of the tropical Pacific Ocean and is known to disrupt normal weather patterns in various regions of the world.

In South-east Asia, its effect has been linked to prolonged drier and warmer weather.

As the haze situation has improved, the National Environment Agency (NEA) will stop issuing the daily Haze Forecast and Health Advisory.

The air quality readings will still be available hourly from 7am to 11pm at www.haze.gov.sg, www.nea.gov.sg and on the NEA's myENV mobile application.

Air quality readings from midnight to 6am will also be made available at 7am on the same day.

NEA will continue to monitor the weather and haze situation in the region, and the public will be updated when necessary, the advisory said.

ateng@sph.com.sg


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