SINGAPORE, Oct 16 — Singapore’s western region experienced one of the country’s heaviest downpours in over 40 years on Monday (October 14), with intense thunderstorms sweeping across the island.
According to The Straits Times (ST), national water agency PUB reported that 134.8mm of rain fell between 8:15am and 1:50pm, equating to 80 per cent of the nation’s average monthly rainfall for October.
This figure places the event within the top 1 per cent of daily rainfall records since 1978, according to PUB.
For context, Singapore’s average October rainfall is typically around 168.3mm, based on records from 1991 to 2020, ST reported.
The downpour caused widespread flooding, particularly in areas like Tampines and Bukit Timah, where vehicles were seen wading through waterlogged roads.
PUB issued flood warnings for 15 locations, including Dunearn Road in Bukit Timah, Sunset Way, and parts of Bedok and Mountbatten.
Dunearn Road was notably affected, with pavements and bus stops submerged. PUB attributed this to high water levels in nearby drains and the Bukit Timah Canal.
In light of this, the agency said there are ongoing efforts to widen and deepen a 900m section of the Bukit Timah Canal, with completion expected by 2026. This follows earlier work in 2022 to raise the road to mitigate flood risks.
