SINGAPORE: Heavy downpour caused a flash flood along Bukit Timah Road on Saturday (Nov 16) as the northwestern part of Singapore received one of the highest recorded daily rainfalls in 46 years.
The flash flood occurred near King Albert Park MRT station at around 3.20pm due to high water levels in the adjacent drains as well as Bukit Timah Canal, said Singapore’s national water agency PUB in a Facebook post.
The agency said it deployed its quick response team to direct traffic away from the floodwaters, which subsided 10 minutes later.
It added there are ongoing works to widen and deepen a 900m stretch of Bukit Timah Canal – from Rifle Range Road to Jalan Kampong Chantek – to improve flood protection in the area in the long run, with the works to be completed by 2026.
Flash flood warnings for 10 locations across Singapore were issued, with the heaviest rainfall of 108.4mm recorded in northwestern Singapore from 2.10pm to 4pm.
This amount is about 43 per cent of Singapore’s average monthly rainfall in November, and lies within the top 3 per cent of maximum daily rainfall records since 1978, said PUB.
PUB had issued its first advisory at around 3pm, saying heavy rain was expected over the northern, eastern and western areas of Singapore, and flash flood risk warnings were issued for the following areas:
- Dunearn Road, between Yarwood Avenue and Binjai Park
- Kranji Expressway Slip Road (KJE to Woodlands Road, towards Senja Way)
- Eng Kong Place, between Greenridge Crescent and Eng Kong Garden
- Junction of Lorong Kismis and Toh Tuck Rise
- Junction of Sunset Drive and Sunset Terrace
- Junction of Sunset Drive and Sunset Way Road
- Bukit Timah Road, between Wilby Road and Blackmore Drive
- Jalan Boon Lay, between Enterprise Road and International Road
- Junction of Neo Pee Teck Lane and Pasir Panjang Road
- Tampines Expressway (Punggol West Flyover)
In its fortnightly forecast released on Friday, the Meteorological Service Singapore said that moderate to heavy thundery showers are expected on most days until the end of November due to the north-east monsoon.
The Met Service also forecasted the total rainfall for the two weeks to be “above average” over most parts of the island.
On some rainy days, daily temperature lows of about 23 degrees Celsius can be expected, it added.
