Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg

More rain will fall on Singapore over the next few months from mid-2022.

"Climate drivers", La Nina and the Indian Ocean Dipole, will see rain clouds carried over the region bringing greater than average rainfall for Singapore for the June to August 2022 period, The Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) told The Straits Times.

The two phenomena

La Nina occurs in the Pacific, while the the Indian Ocean Dipole occurs in the Indian Ocean.

La Nina, affects global temperatures and brings floods to some places and droughts to others.

MSS said La Nina events typically have the strongest impact on Singapore during June to September -- the south-west monsoon season -- bringing with it more rain than usual.

The Indian Ocean Dipole, currently in a negative phase, sees winds intensify along the equator towards South-east Asia and Australia to provide energy and carry moisture around the region to form rain clouds.

MSS told ST the prevailing La Nina conditions were predicted to weaken during June to August, while the negative Indian Ocean Dipole was predicted to develop during June to August.

When combined, La Nina and a negative IOD event can bring more wet weather to Singapore during the south-west monsoon.

One of the wettest south-west monsoons occurred in 2010 due to a strong La Nina and negative IOD, MSS added.

Temperatures not going down

MSS also said the cooling impact of La Nina events will not affect Singapore much.

April and May 2022 have seen some of the highest temperatures recorded in Singapore.

Effects of La Nina

La Nina is likely to continue for months, and possibly even into 2023, the United Nations said in June 2022.

MSS had said earlier in 2022 that La Nina contributed to 2021's heavy rainfall across Singapore, which was also a La Nina year.

As a result, 2021 emerged as the year with the second highest rainfall on record after 2007.

La Nina's sister phenomena is El Nino.

El Nino events typically bring warmer and drier conditions to Southeast Asia.

Top photo via Unsplash