S$25 million programme launched so S'pore can better predict weather events like Sumatra squalls

A S$25 million programme to enhance Singapore's weather prediction capabilities has been launched by the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS), Minister of Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu announced during the Committee of Supply debate on Mar. 4.

In a joint press release, the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) and MSS said the Weather Science Research Programme (WSRP) aims to “enhance Singapore's ability to understand and predict our tropical urban weather."

This includes extreme weather arising from climate change as well.

Challenges from climate change

A study led by the Centre for Climate Research Singapore (CCRS) under MSS projected higher temperatures, more extreme wet and dry periods, and rising mean sea levels by the end of the century, MSE and MSS said.

Singapore’s location in the deep tropics also presents challenges for weather prediction.

In response, MSS aims to build the nation’s weather science capability through the new programme.

CCRS will collaborate with Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) and Research Institutes to integrate the latest scientific and technological developments to improve weather prediction.

One example shared by MSE and MSS is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to merge data from multiple sources, which can then “potentially [enhance] predictions of heavy rainfall and strong winds.”

The programme will also focus on developing advanced weather prediction systems that account for the effects of ocean and land conditions on local weather, MSE and MSS said.

This could “improve our ability” to forecast weather events such as Sumatra squalls, they explained.

Scientists will also explore new methods for incorporating weather observations from “cutting-edge technologies,” MSE and MSS said.

This includes polar-orbiting environmental satellites and ground-based radars for more accurate and timely weather forecasts for the region.

Historical weather re-analysis

A key initiative under the new programme is to create a “detailed historical weather re-analysis” over recent decades for Southeast Asia, MSE and MSS shared.

This will be the “first of its kind” in the region, they added.

“This comprehensive dataset will offer valuable insights into past weather patterns and provide a valuable dataset to leverage AI for local weather prediction,” they said.

The WSRP, funded under the Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2025 Plan, is now open for research proposals from local research institutions.

WSRP projects are expected to be awarded in the second half of 2025.

Top photo from Canva