Heavy rain & gusty winds uproot trees, building installations in S'pore on Sep. 17 night

Just as many were about to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival.

Winnie Li| September 17, 2024, 09:26 PM

Heavy thundery showers with gusty winds swept over many areas in Singapore suddenly at around 7pm on Sep. 17.

As a result, the PUB, Singapore's national water agency issued a flash flood warning on its X (formerly Twitter) page, advising the public to avoid Lor Gambir till 8:30pm.

Screenshot via PUB/X

Heavy rain

The pouring rain and strong winds also caused much inconvenience for Singapore residents, especially those heading out to meet their families for the Mid-Autumn Festival or watch the full moon.

According to a video sent by a Mothership reader at around 8pm, an installation at Chinatown Point appeared to have fallen off.

Video via Mothership reader

A TikTok user also claimed that the wind had caused various objects, including traffic cones and gym equipment, to fall into a pool located at East Coast Beach at around 8pm.

@iamejaz When it rains heavily in east coast, prepare for the strong winds. Part:2 #sgtiktok #singapore ♬ This is heaven - Nightshade

Trees located in the National University of Singapore, Mount Faber Park, Jalan Kayu, and East Coast Park also succumbed to the wind, causing passers-by to take detours.

Photo via @XKing/Xiaohongshu

Photo via Ajey/Telegram

Photo via B/Telegram

Screenshot via B/Telegram

A fallen tree near Syed Alwi Street in Jalan Besar was also seen landing on the top of a car at around 8pm.

Screenshot via 爱褥羊毛的大衣/Xiaohongshu

Besides open public spaces, the rain also appeared to have created havoc in residential areas.

A Xiaohongshu user claimed that some bicycles parked on the ground floor of their apartment building were blown into the centre of the void deck by the wind before landing on their sides.

Video via 猛虎/Xiaohongshu

Wet weather incoming

In a Sep. 16 media advisory, the Meteorological Service Singapore said Sumatra squalls may bring widespread thundery showers and gusty winds during the pre-dawn hours and morning on a few days in the second fortnight of September 2024.

More rainfall is also forecast towards the last week of the month, with thundery showers expected on most afternoons.

On some of those days, the thundery showers could be widespread and heavy.

Thanks to the wet weather, daily temperatures may range between 23°C and 32°C on a few days in the second half of the month.

Top images via Mothership reader & 爱褥羊毛的大衣/Xiaohongshu