PUB issues flood warnings for multiple areas in S'pore on Dec. 29, 2024, Dunearn & Bukit Timah Roads affected

On Dec. 29, 2024, PUB announced flood warnings for several at-risk areas in Singapore.

At around 4pm, PUB posted on X (formerly Twitter) that "heavy rain [was] expected" over many areas in Singapore from 4:20pm to 5:20pm.

It then released a flurry of tweets about the risk of flash floods in several areas, including:

• Choa Chu Kang Ave 1 (towards Choa Chu Kang Way, Choa Chu Kang Drive to Teck Whye Lane.
• Lorong Gambir.
• Junction of Toa Payoh Lorong 1 and Toa Payoh Lorong 2.
• Eng Kong Place (Greenridge Crescent to Eng Kong Garden).
• Junction of Lorong Kismis and Toh Tuck Rise.
• Dunearn Road (Yarwood Avenue to Binjai Park).
• Bukit Timah Road (Wilby Road to Blackmore Drive).
• Upper Hokkien Street.
• Junction of Bishan Street 21 and Jalan Pemimpin.
• Craig Road (Duxton Road to Tanjong Pagar Road)
• Upper Paya Lebar Service Road (Lim Teck Boo Road to Rochdale Road).
• Jalan Lokam (near Upper Paya Lebar Road).
• Thrift Drive (near Jalan Usaha).
• Hillcrest Road (Watten Rise to Dunearn Road).
• Junction of Sunset Drive and Sunset Way Road.
• Junction of Sunset Drive and Sunset Terrace.
• Puay Hee Avenue (near Siak Kew Avenue).
• Siang Kuang Avenue.

Each of these warnings was accompanied with the caveat to avoid the location "for the next 1 hour" from the time the tweet was sent.

It then declared that flash floods have occurred at Dunearn Road and Bukit Timah Road near King Albert Park.

PUB officers were deployed to both locations to render assistance. PUB advised the public to avoid both areas.

PUB then issued more tweets about ten minutes later, saying floods have subsided in both areas.

Flooding

Across social media, Singaporeans shared photos and videos of floods of affected areas after a bout of heavy rain in the afternoon.

@bindimaa #Flood #flashflood #naturadisaster #singapore #warning⚠️ ♬ Danger - SoundAudio

@_yourtt Bukit Timah Road Jam! Kudos to migrants worker who direct the traffic! 🙏 #raining #bukittimah #flood #singapore #jam ♬ original sound - Rach

PUB statement

At about 6:30pm on the same day, PUB issued a statement.

"Flash floods occurred along Dunearn Road and Bukit Timah Road (near King Albert Park) from around 5pm due to high water levels in the adjacent drains and Bukit Timah Canal. PUB’s Quick Response Teams were deployed ahead of the rain and later closed off affected lanes, directing traffic away from floodwaters. The flash floods subsided within 20 minutes.

The Bukit Timah area is prone to flooding, and drainage improvement works have been carried out along Bukit Timah Canal and the Bukit Timah First Diversion Canal over the past decade.

There are also ongoing works to widen and deepen a 900m stretch of Bukit Timah Canal (from Rifle Range Road to Jalan Kampong Chantek) as a long-term measure to enhance flood protection in the area, which will be completed by 2026.

The heaviest rainfall of 134.6mm was recorded in central Singapore from 3.15pm to 5.25pm.

This amount corresponds to 41% of Singapore's average monthly rainfall in December and lies within the top 1% of maximum daily rainfall records since 1978.

Due to the prevailing Northeast Monsoon, heavy rainfall can be expected during this period. Sudden and intense storms can temporarily overwhelm our canals and drains, causing localised flash floods, which typically subside within an hour."

You can read the full statement below:

Top image via utkarsh7236 and _yourtt TikTok.