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March 2025 the wettest March in S'pore due to unusual monsoon surge
Since record-keeping began in 1929.
January 08, 2026, 02:58 PM
March 2025 was the wettest March in Singapore due to an unusual monsoon surge on Mar. 19 and 20, which "contributed significantly” to that month’s rainfall, the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) said on Jan. 8 in its annual climate and weather report for 2025.
Two-day heavy rainfall
The islandwide average rainfall over the two days was 272.3mm, which exceeded the month’s long-term average of 209.7mm.
This resulted in the average rainfall in March 2025 to be 482.9mm, which was 130 per cent above the norm.
What is a monsoon surge?
A monsoon surge brings about rain and cooler weather in January and March.
This is due to bursts of cold, dry air from Central Asia picking up moisture when they move over the warm waters of the South China Sea.
Jan. 10 record daily rainfall
The first monsoon surge in 2025 over a four-day period, between Jan. 10 and 13, broke rainfall records for the month of January, MSS added.
On Jan. 10, 241.8mm of rainfall was recorded at Pulau Tekong, the month’s highest-ever daily rainfall.
The non-stop rain and high tides over the four days saw the low-lying East Coast area flooded and flights were diverted.
The previous high of 238.2mm was recorded on Jan. 30, 2011, on Pulau Ubin.
7th-wettest year for Singapore
Three monsoon surge events in January and March 2025 made it the seventh-wettest year for Singapore since 1980, MSS noted.
This resulted in the start of 2025 being exceptionally wet.
At times, more rain fell as winds interact with a whirlpool of air near Singapore to form clouds and is known as a low-pressure vortex.
However, the March surge was unusual as it occurred during the dry phase of the monsoon season.
Surges typically occur in December and January during the wet phase of the northeast monsoon.
Overall, Singapore’s average total rainfall for 2025 was more than 2,900mm.
This was about 18 per cent above the long-term average of 2,534mm.
La Nina effects
Singapore also experienced the cooling effects of La Nina at the start of 2025.
La Nina events bring cooler and wetter weather to Southeast Asia, which resulted in cooler conditions in Singapore.
They are caused by changes in sea surface temperatures and atmospheric pressure across the Pacific Ocean.
Wetter conditions in Singapore occurred from September onwards.
Rainfall was about 40 per cent above the month’s long-term average.
La Nina conditions also coincided with conditions that brought more rain towards the end of 2025.
Hottest June and November in 2025
Singapore also saw the the hottest June and November on record in 2025.
June was the year’s warmest month.
The last time it was this hot was in 1997.
The average temperature in June in both years reached a high of 29.3°C .
November’s average temperature was 28.2°C, up from the previous record of 28°C in 1998, 2015 and 2019.
2025 was still Singapore's eighth-warmest year on record, since record-keeping began in 1929, with a mean temperature of 28.1°C, on par with 2010 and 2002.
2024, 2019 and 2016 are the joint warmest years in Singapore with mean temperatures of 28.4°C.
Singapore experienced 29 days of high heat stress in 2025, compared with 21 days in 2024, MSS noted.
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