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A colleague's blog post two months ago about a blizzard blanketing Singapore had me imagining our urban landscapes covered in a white blanket. But while climate change is impacting us all with hotter weather and heavier rains, the thought of snow in Singapore seems far-fetched. However, this led to another thought: Since we experience thunderstorms and monsoon surges, would it be possible for typhoons to hit Singapore? And if they did, would we be able to withstand them? Image: Carl Kho, Unsplash First, a science lesson The Coriolis Effect, caused by the earth's rotation, is positive in the northern hemisphere and negative in the southern hemisphere. What this means is that the winds in the north will curve and move counterclockwise, while the winds in the south curve and move clockwise. Meanwhile, along the equator, the Coriolis Effect is too weak to provide the necessary spin to increase wind speeds and create typhoons. According to this article from the California Institute of Technology, this is why typhoons don't form within 300km of the equator – where Singapore is located. This video also explains why this is so. But there can be exceptions due to a combination of factors. In 2001, Typhoon Vamei formed 160km north of the equator and according to this Straits Times story, delivered 10% (around 220mm) of Singapore's annual rainfall in one day. With that in mind, what if, due to a combination of factors, a typhoon did make landfall in Singapore? Infrastructure and preparedness Given the focus on climate change, I'd imagine that NEA (National Environment Agency) would be quick to issue warnings for everyone to shelter indoors. All the works (including ongoing ones) to improve drainage would also help mitigate any expected flooding. It helps that our utilities – especially power lines – are underground. So, there are no concerns about electric poles toppling and electrocuting people. We don't have telephone poles and overhead lines either, so we wouldn't need to worry about those. Traffic lights and lamp posts, however, will pose risks. Ditto for any hanging signages, trees and branches. Anything that can be caught by the wind and blown away is a potential hazard. However, while I think our infrastructure can cope, I'm not as confident that everyone can. Image: Richard Burlton, Unsplash Question marks Since most of us have only ever experienced monsoon surges and severe thunderstorms, the destructive power of a full-blown typhoon is going to be fearsome. What I'm pessimistic about is how people will react. I can picture massive panic-buying of everything, especially toilet paper. Expect empty shelves in supermarkets. Fights will break out. It will be kiasu and kiasi to the 10th power, as the panicked ones hoard six to eight months of supplies for a typhoon that passes in two or three days. Pharmacies would be emptied out, too. You don't need the entire population to do this – a few hundred irrational folks will ruin it for everyone else. The Government will have to take pre-emptive actions to prevent this from happening. Then there are those who will endanger themselves (and others) by insisting on filming and documenting the typhoon as it makes landfall. These people will probably track the typhoon's path and aim to be where the winds are strongest, so they can capture the havoc it will wreak. And it won't be for posterity. It'll be for views and subscribers. And our first responders will be put at even greater risk trying to save these people. Hey, if it happens in other countries, it'll happen here. Image: Carl Kho, Unsplash When not if It is unlikely for a typhoon to pass directly through Singapore, but if Typhoon Vamei came so close, it could happen. We shouldn't wait till then to mentally prepare ourselves for this possibility – no matter how remote it may be. At the very least, we should remind ourselves that in any extreme weather event, the first course of action is to shelter at home and not venture outside unless it's an emergency that requires us to leave our residence. Remember, even during the COVID circuit breakers, we still had access to food, groceries, and petrol. If we can survive four months being cooped up at home, waiting for two or three days for a typhoon to pass is nothing. Above all, events like these are a test of national unity. If we adopt the mindset of looking out for each other and thinking about what's best for the community, we'll be able to withstand not just typhoons, but any national challenges that come our way. – Jeremy Main image: NASA, Unsplash

With Good Friday around the corner, here’s a wholesome story about treating strangers with compassion and kindness! What happened? During a downpour yesterday in the east side of Singapore, this cam car caught a heartwarming encounter that even the most cynical of us can appreciate and smile upon. At the junction of Joo Chiat and Still Road, a primary school boy was caught in the rain with no shelter or protection from the harsh rain. We can see the torrent of the rain from the thick splashes on the cam car’s windshield. A fine drizzle, this was not. The boy was seen pacing around while waiting to cross the road, presumably due to the cold. The Nissan van driver in front of the cam car saw this, and exited with an umbrella in hand. The driver passed the umbrella to the student before rushing back inside the van. Online chatter The comments were united in praising the uncle for his kindness, some hoping to see him rewarded somehow in the future. People hoped to see more of such heartwarming posts as well, as such behaviour is rarely seen or documented on Singapore’s roads (We would know). ========= Be the first to get the latest road/ COE news and get first dibs on exclusive promos and giveaways in our Telegram SGCM Community. Join us today!

TL;DR - More road potholes spotted around Singapore after days of continuous downpour, resulting in imbalance of roads and bumpy vehicles. Potholes are just the worst. Watch this 63-second video of different vehicles driving past multiple road potholes. What are potholes? The smallest road flaws can develop into potholes. Due to water seepage and ongoing pressure from heavy cars, these crevices enlarge. A pothole is created when specific sections of the road deteriorate and collapse over time. In general, potholes are more likely to form the more rain there is. A small pothole can get wider and deeper if the traffic in the area is high. Read here to find out what you can do in the event you encounter a pothole that cannot be avoided: https://www.sgcarmart.com/news/writeup.php?AID=579 What happened? If you reside in Singapore, you’d know just how insane the rainfall has been for the past two weeks. The downpour on Tuesday (28th Feb) was heaviest over the eastern and southern parts of Singapore, with the daily total rainfall of 225.5mm recorded at Kallang the highest in 30 years for the month of February. The last time there was such a deluge in February was when 159.3mm of rainfall was recorded on Feb 4, 1995. (Source: The Straits Times) As a result of the continuous heavy rain, the number of potholes proliferated all around Singapore. The video submitted on SGRV showed just one of the many potholes that formed at Pandan Road. Writer’s note: Be mindful driving along this stretch! Online Comments A minute of silence for all the cars that have been lowered… So, if your car has been lowered, please drive carefully and brake early when approaching such potholes - trust me, it’s a different kind of heartbreak when you scratch your undercarriage. And don’t ‘geh-kiang’ and speed. You might just rip out your bumper in the process of acting cool. With the wet weather continuing throughout the whole of next week, we expect to see even more potholes. Thus, please ride safely and be extra cautious especially on the roads! ========= Be the first to get the latest road/ COE news and get first dibs on exclusive promos and giveaways in our Telegram SGCM Community. Join us today!

Thunderstorms across parts of Singapore on Sunday (Dec 7) led to sections of Tampines Mall being flooded. Ms Chow May Kee, who called Channel NewsAsia’s hotline at about 3pm, said that the second and third floors of the mall were flooded after a heavy downpour, and there was water flowing down the staircase of the second level. The National Environment Agency had earlier issued an advisory, warning that thunderstorms with gusty winds were expected over many areas of Singapore between 3.10pm and 4pm. The PUB also said that flash floods may occur. Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/part-of-tampines-mall/1514638.html