Weather locations in Singapore

Singapore is a city-state on the southern tip of the Malay peninsula, very close to the equator, and it has a climate that is about as uniform as a climate can be. There is no cold half of the year to speak of, humidity never really drops away, and rain arrives at unpredictable times rather than forming a defined season.

Main climate types

Singapore is classed as a tropical rainforest climate, and it stays that way because the island is far too small to have any interior dryness. Weak winds and high humidity dominate the weather. The only real variation comes from the monsoon: the north-east monsoon from December into early February brings heavier rain to the peninsula, while the inter-monsoon months produce their own intense showers.

Temperatures

Monthly means sit in a narrow band, from about 26 degrees Celsius in January to about 27 or 28 in May, with an annual average near 27. Nights almost never drop below 24 degrees, and the warmest part of the year is usually around May, in the run-up to the inter-monsoon thunderstorm season. Air conditioning is universal and highly effective, and most buildings are designed around it.

Rainfall

Annual rainfall is about 2,300 millimetres, well distributed but with a wetter run through November and January. Showers are usually short and intense and often occur in the afternoon, so rain falls on most days of the year however heavy the totals look. The island's drains and water systems are built to cope with the heaviest downpours.

When to go

The drier months, around February to April, when rain is less frequent and the humidity marginally lower, are generally the most comfortable. The wettest period is from November to January, at the height of the north-east monsoon, which is when the afternoon showers are most constant.