Singapore Records Hottest Year in 2024, With April Reaching Record Temperatures

Singapore experienced its hottest year in 2024, tying with 2016 and 2019 for the record, according to the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) in its Singapore Climate 2024: The Year in Numbers report released on January 10. Throughout the year, every month saw temperatures equal to or above their long-term averages, with the long-term average based on data from 1991 to 2020.

April stood out as the hottest month of the year, with an average temperature of 29.4 degrees Celsius, matching the record set in 2016. July closely followed with an average temperature of 29.3 degrees Celsius. December, despite being one of the cooler months, also marked a notable climate event as it became the warmest December on record, with a mean temperature of 27.7 degrees Celsius, tying with both 2015 and 2021.

Changi climate station set a new record for the highest daily maximum temperature on December 7, 2024, reaching 35.6 degrees Celsius, surpassing the previous record of 33.9 degrees Celsius set in December 2021. The year also saw 21 days of high heat stress, with the majority occurring in March, April, and May. High heat stress, defined by a Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) of 33 degrees Celsius or higher, can lead to serious health issues such as heat cramps, exhaustion, and stroke.

In terms of rainfall, 2024 was wetter than usual, with total annual rainfall reaching 2,739.8mm, which is 8.1% higher than the long-term average of 2,534.3mm. However, monthly rainfall patterns varied significantly. After a wet start to the year, Singapore experienced a dry spell from mid-July to late July. May and June saw above-average rainfall, while November became the wettest month of the year, with 419mm of rainfall – the highest for November since 1980.

The year concluded on a drier note, with December recording an average rainfall of 221.3mm, about 30% below the usual monthly average.