Morning storm brings flash floods to central Singapore

SINGAPORE – Flash floods hit several areas in the Bukit Timah area amid heavy rain on Friday (June 29) morning.

The heavy downpour also triggered high flood risk warnings for various locations in central and western Singapore for a second time this week. The affected areas include Bishan Road, Yio Chu Kang Road, Penjuru Road, Pasir Pang Road and Neo Pee Teck Lane.

National water agency PUB said the rain gauge at Ngee Ann Polytechnic recorded about 85mm of rainfall between 9.30am and 11.30am on Friday, adding: "This is more than half the average rainfall of 130.7mm (about 65%)  in the entire month of June."

Singapore is currently in the middle of the South-west Monsoon season. The Meteorological Service Singapore had earlier forecast that the second half of June will be wetter, with overall rainfall for the month to be above average over most parts of Singapore.

On Friday, national water agency PUB first alerted commuters to flash floods in the central part of Singapore around 10.05am.

Lorong Kismis was the first to be hit by the floodwaters, followed by Dunearn Road minutes later. Both roads were completely flooded.

Around 10.38am, PUB reported that all three lanes of Bukit Timah Road were also flooded.

However, the flash floods only lasted for less than half an hour. The high water levels at Lorong Kismis receded around 10.12am, while Dunearn Road saw the waters subsiding around 10.30am.

Traffic at Bukit Timah Road was passable from around 10.45am.

The National Environment Agency had earlier advised Singaporeans to expect moderate to heavy thundery showers over the southern, western and central areas of the island till early afternoon on Friday.

On Tuesday, flash floods were also reported in several locations across Singapore.

Flash floods occurred in three locations in the West — Lorong Kismis, Toh Tuck Avenue, as well as along the Pan-Island Expressway towards Tuas, after the Eng Neo Avenue exit.

In a statement on Tuesday, PUB said Old Toh Tuck Road received about 150mm of rainfall on Tuesday morning, higher than the average rainfall of 130.7mm in the entire month of June.