December

[SJB]

Following Saturday's downpour - is this what end December is like in the rainy season - ie. raining most of the day or just an hour here and there.
Have visitors coming and trying to plan what we're going to do.

Thanks !

[sundaymorningstaple]

Well.......Yes.

Course you could have the alternative. Thick Acrid Haze from all the fires in Indonesia. It has cleared the air somewhat and doused a lot of the fires finally. Also, welcome to the tropics where the monsoon season is a regular as clockwork (only the quantum varies). That's why most people here always carry at least the small folding umbrellas that will fit into a purse or briefcase - Almost like an AMEX card (don't leave home without it).

[SJB]

Yes but - is it all day long (if so I will take visitors to eg. Thailand for a few days) - and if not I will hang here.

[hei guess what]

Oh YES, heavy downpours are the norm in Dec.

National Environment Agency: "maximum rainfall occur in December and April."

http://app.nea.gov.sg/cms/htdocs/article.asp?pid=1088

It would be a good idea to travel to Thailand or Cambodia . . .

[jpatokal]

Eh, you guys are exaggerating. Yes, it does rain most days in December, but most of the time it's just rain Singapore style -- sunny morning, brief downpour in the afternoon, clears up by evening. Continued downpours like the one on Sat are not that common.

And you often get that "you know you've been in Singapore too long" feeling when you wake up/go outside and think "brr, it's cold today"

[sundaymorningstaple]

Eh, you guys are exaggerating. Yes, it does rain most days in December, but most of the time it's just rain Singapore style -- sunny morning, brief downpour in the afternoon, clears up by evening. Continued downpours like the one on Sat are not that common.

And you often get that "you know you've been in Singapore too long" feeling when you wake up/go outside and think "brr, it's cold today"

I already know I've been here too long but I've never said that yet! I have said "Wow! I'm not perspiring! while wearing only a sarong around the house while the wife has a cardigan and heavy woolen socks on!

Oh, I been here during a number of monsoon decembers where it's rained cats & dogs for nearly a week (worst part of that was I was living in Watten Estates (where SE is) in those days and before the new canals were dug. Meant most of Bk Timah/Dunhearn road was under water during high tides that coincided with the rains.

[Grim Reaper]

Only experienced about 7 monsoon seasons here, but the last really bad one I remembered was in 2001, it rained continuously for 2 or 3 days.

I second JP's opinion: Singapore's monsoon is in no way to be compared to others around us.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Having worked for 12 years all around the ASEAN region from 82 to 94 I'd have to say the monsoons rains here are not much different than anywhere else in the region.

The difference is in the infrastructure that Singapore has built over the past 30 years to achieve the rapid runoff required to prevent the flooding that is endemic to other areas in the region. Most of the flooding I've seen over the years was not because of continuous rains but of extremely heavy rains over short periods of time that overwhelmed the existing rudimentary infrastructure found in most of the neighbouring countries. One of the few places in Singapore that still floods with some regularity is the Chinatown Area of Singapore but it usually only coincides with a heavy downpour coupled with a high tide occurring at the same time.

[SgExpat]

One of the few places in Singapore that still floods with some regularity is the Chinatown Area of Singapore but it usually only coincides with a heavy downpour coupled with a high tide occurring at the same time.

Great info. Will advise my Chinese friends to avoid that area when its raining. Anywhere to check the "TIDE LEVEL"? :p

[sundaymorningstaple]

One of the few places in Singapore that still floods with some regularity is the Chinatown Area of Singapore but it usually only coincides with a heavy downpour coupled with a high tide occurring at the same time.

Great info. Will advise my Chinese friends to avoid that area when its raining. Anywhere to check the "TIDE LEVEL"? :p

Singapore Tide Tables

Flooding at Opera Estate

WHAT ENV IS DOING TO MINIMISE FLOODING

More rainy days are expected over the next two months with the onset of the north-east monsoon season. Over the past two days, flash floods had occurred in Alexandra Road area. The affected areas include Jervois Road, Delta Avenue, Prince Philip Avenue and Viking Road. The floods were of short duration and floodwaters subsided after less than an hour. These areas are known to be flood-prone and are served by the Alexandra Canal. ENV is currently widening and deepening the Alexandra Canal to reduce flooding in the Alexandra Road area.

Though the drainage infrastructure in Singapore is well developed, ENV is not taking chances and has put in place an action plan to alleviate flooding in Singapore. Under this plan, the Ministry has increased its frequency of cleansing of drains and canals in flood-prone areas and conducted more checks to ensure that our drains and canals are not obstructed.

In addition, actions to minimise flooding on our roads have been taken by a multi-agency Task Force led by ENV. The Road Drainage Task Force, comprising officers from the Land Transport Authority and ENV's Environmental Health Department and Drainage Department, meets regularly to resolve flooding problems on the roads.

The Ministry will continue to implement its drainage development programme to further reduce flood-prone areas in Singapore and to provide drainage outlets for newly developed areas. Since 1984, ENV has spent some $1.2 billion to widen and deepen drains and canals. These works include large drainage projects to alleviate flooding in Bukit Timah, Tanjong Katong and Orchard Road and to provide drainage outlets for new housing and industrial estates such as the Bedok, Tampines, Bishan, Ang Mo Kio and Toa Payoh New Towns. The result has been a reduction in the flood-prone area in Singapore from about 3200 ha in the 70s to 238 ha today. Areas which were well known flood-prone areas in the past (such as Bukit Timah, Dunearn Road, Orchard Road, Napier Road and Bedok, Tampines, Potong Pasir areas) are no longer flood-prone. The floods nowadays are less severe and are of relatively short duration. Although ENV is doing what it can to eliminate flooding, floods can still occur in times of extreme or freak weather and tidal conditions. The risk is highest in the low-lying parts of Singapore where the ground levels are barely above the high tide level. These areas include Jervois Road, Lorong 101 to Lorong 106 Changi, Langsat Road, Serangoon Road and parts of Chinatown. The only effective way to reduce the flood risk in the low-lying areas is to raise the ground levels of these areas. In this respect, the Ministry provides the owners of low-lying properties with advice on what the safe ground level is when they redevelop their properties. Over the next two months, there are three critical periods with extreme high tides (of 3 m and above). These are 26 Nov to 29 Nov 2000, 10 Dec to 16 Dec 2000 and 28 Dec 2000. ENV would like to advise residents staying in low-lying areas to take precautionary measures to protect their belongings.

Singaporeans can also obtain the latest weather forecasts via the Meteorological Service's 24-hour information hot line on Tel 5427788.

Members of the public can play an important part by not causing obstructions in drains. They can help by disposing their solid wastes in waste receptacles. Litter, for instance, can be washed down into drains by rainwater and cause obstruction.

The public can also help by calling the Envinroment Ministry's Call Centre should they see any obstructions in drains. The number to call is 1800-7319222 (toll-free).

Ministry of the Environment

A NEW ICON BECKONS

Today Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew heralds the start of the construction of the Marina Barrage, a $226 million project that will bring three benefits to Singapore - a new source of freshwater, a flood control and a new lifestyle attraction.

It is a fitting start to the construction as the Marina Barrage is a result of Mr Lee's vision nearly two decades ago when he envisaged putting a dam across the Marina Channel to create a freshwater reservoir.

When the Barrage is completed in 2007, it will give birth to Singapore's 15th reservoir and the first in the city. The Marina Reservoir will have the largest and most urbanized catchment at 10,000 hectares, or one-sixth of Singapore. This will help increase the existing water catchment area from half to two-thirds of Singapore by 2009.

"As the Marina Reservoir's catchment is the most urbanized, one of the challenges faced is for all Singaporeans to work with us to keep our catchments clean. It should be a way of life for us to keep our water clean - in every drain, canal and river. We have an international reputation for being clean and green and this should extend also to our waters and areas surrounding them," said PUB Chairman, Tan Gee Paw.

PUB has been investing in new water technologies such as membrane technology and can treat water from highly urbanised catchments to drinking water standards. But by keeping the water catchment clean, Singaporeans can help contain the cost of water. Water from local catchment is one of the Four National Taps, the other three being imported water, NEWater and desalinated water. As one of the pillars of local water supply, Marina Reservoir will meet 10% of Singapore's current water demand.

In addition to this, the barrage will also act as a tidal barrier and alleviate flooding in low-lying areas such as Chinatown, Boat Quay, Jalan Besar and Geylang. The barrage separates the reservoir from the sea. If it rains heavily during low tide, the barrage's crest gates will be lowered to release excess storm water into the sea. However, if it storms during high tide, the gates stay closed and large drainage pumps will then pump the excess storm water out to the sea, hence preventing flooding.

As the water in the Marina Basin will be unaffected by the tides, its water level will be kept constant and Singaporeans can therefore enjoy a variety of water sports like canoeing and water skiing all year round.

The Marina Barrage is part of a new shift in Singapore's water management. Once wholly the responsibility of PUB, the national water agency now encourages everyone in the 3P (People, Public and Private) sectors to take joint ownership of Singapore's water resource management. This is known as the 3P approach, which is summed up in PUB's recently launched tagline -- Water for All: Conserve, Value, Enjoy.

Along with the barrage, a visitor centre is being built, which will be a showcase of environmentally sustainable development.

"We want to work with our 3P partners to create a visitor centre that will be both informative and educational, that fires the imagination of visitors and inspires them to do their part for the environment. We have had brainstorming sessions with representatives from various agencies and we intend to have a public consultation as well later," said Yap Kheng Guan, PUB's director of 3P Network Department.

Singapore's foremost potter, Iskandar Jalil is one of the first to contribute his creativity to the visitor centre. He created a pottery installation known as Beneficence 3 which is unveiled by Mr Lee at today's ceremony. Beneficence 3, comprising 3 pottery vessels, will be displayed at the visitor centre when completed in 2007.

The new visitor centre will be located in the heart of the new downtown, next to the upcoming Business and Financial Centre and close to the Esplanade. The three vessels therefore signify the three pillars of Singapore's well-being - commerce, culture and the environment.

Exciting times are ahead and a new Singapore icon beckons. In the meantime, as the water story unfolds, it is timely to reflect today, which is also World Water Day, how a small nation like Singapore has overcome the obstacles and managed its water resources effectively and efficiently.

About PUB

PUB is a statutory board under the Ministry for the Environment and Water Resources. It is the water agency that manages Singapore's water supply, water catchment and sewerage in an integrated way.

About PUB's tagline: Water for All: Conserve, Value, Enjoy

PUB has ensured a diversified and sustainable supply of water for Singapore with the Four National Taps (local catchment water, imported water, NEWater, desalinated water).

To provide water for all, PUB calls on all Singaporeans to play our part to conserve water, keep our water catchments and waterways clean and build a relationship with water so we can enjoy our water resources. We can then have enough water for all uses - for industry, for living, for life, now and for generations to come.

22 March 2005

Now why don't you get off of daddy's computer before his golf game finishes and he comes home and catches you.

[exvirus]

cheer to the Spore drainage system for keeping spore flood free...

[sundaymorningstaple]

As I said before, it still floods occasionally in Singapore. And it does rain for more than a couple of days on end as well.

For all the naysayers......