This was the Sumatra Squall that swept across S’pore from west to east on Sep. 17 night

The storm that brought heavy rains, strong winds and felled trees on Sep. 17 took 45 minutes to pass over Singapore as it moved from west to east.

According to the National Environment Agency (NEA), the storm made landfall at about 7pm.

Almost the whole of Singapore received the storm's heaviest rainfall as it moved across the island, as seen from the purple portions on NEA's diagram showing rain areas in the country.

At about 7:45pm, while the northern half of the storm appeared to be weakening as it moved from Pulau Ubin to Pulau Tekong, heavy rainfall could still be seen above Changi Airport.

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Trees uprooted during the storm

Apart from the heavy rain, the storm's winds also uprooted trees in multiple locations such as the National University of Singapore, Mount Faber Park, Jalan Kayu, and East Coast Park, forcing passers-by to take detours.

A Mothership reader also shared a video of an installation at Chinatown Point that appeared to have been knocked down by the wind.

Singapore to receive more storms for the second half of September 2024

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.

The Sumatra Squall is a line of thunderstorms that develops over Sumatra, Indonesia, and moves over the Straits of Malacca, leading to heavy rain and strong winds in Singapore and Malaysia.

A squall brings gusty winds at speeds of up to 80km/h and heavy downpour that can last for one to two hours.

Sumatra Squalls are most common from April to November, and coincide with the southwest or inter-monsoon period.

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.

Left photo via NEA, right photo via Ajey/Telegram