Singapore Layover Weather, Month by Month

Singapore sits a degree north of the equator, so the temperature barely moves all year and the rain does all the work. What changes between January and February is not whether you will be warm — you will — but whether you will be walking in a downpour.

What the weather does to a layover here

Three consequences, and they are the only ones that matter on a connection. First, heat: the mean daily maximum never drops below 30.5 °C and humidity averages 82 per cent, so a walking window costs you more energy than the same window in a temperate city. Second, rain: 2,113 mm falls across 171 days a year, usually in short heavy bursts, and a car reorders itself around one while a walking tour does not. Third, the evening shows: Spectra and Garden Rhapsody are open-air, and rain cancels them.

None of that argues against coming out. It argues for choosing the format to match the month, which is what the rest of this page is for.

Singapore month by month

Figures are the 1991–2020 climate normals: mean daily maximum, mean daily minimum, mean monthly rainfall and mean rain days.

January

30.6 °C / 24.3 °C · 221.6 mm · 13 rain days. The tail of the northeast monsoon, and the second-wettest month of the year. Rain comes in long grey stretches rather than short bursts. Mornings are the driest part of the day. Plan an indoor stop — the conservatories or a temple — into any window under six hours.

February

31.5 °C / 24.6 °C · 105.1 mm · 9 rain days. The driest month by a wide margin, at less than half January's rainfall and nine rain days. Days run warm and bright. This is the best month of the year for a walking layover. Carry water rather than an umbrella.

March

32.2 °C / 24.9 °C · 151.7 mm · 12 rain days. The monsoon has gone and the inter-monsoon has not fully arrived. Daytime highs climb past 32 °C for the first time. Afternoon thunderstorms start to appear late in the month. Morning windows are more reliable than afternoon ones.

April

32.4 °C / 25.3 °C · 164.3 mm · 15 rain days. The hottest month by mean daily maximum, at 32.4 °C. Fifteen rain days, nearly all of them afternoon storms that clear within the hour. Shade matters more than rain cover. A car-based window beats a walking one here.

May

32.3 °C / 25.7 °C · 164.3 mm · 15 rain days. The warmest month overall once the nights are counted, with a mean daily minimum of 25.7 °C. Storms build through the afternoon. Evenings stay heavy rather than cooling. The night tour is at its most comfortable relative to the day.

June

31.9 °C / 25.7 °C · 135.3 mm · 13 rain days. The southwest monsoon opens. Sumatra squalls arrive between the predawn hours and midday, which is a change of rhythm from the previous two months. Afternoons are often the clearer half of the day. Early arrivals should hold their plans loosely.

July

31.4 °C / 25.4 °C · 146.6 mm · 14 rain days. Squall season continues, and mornings carry the risk. Temperatures ease very slightly from the April peak. Fourteen rain days, mostly early. A layover landing after noon usually gets the better weather.

August

31.4 °C / 25.3 °C · 146.9 mm · 14 rain days. Much like July, with the same predawn squall pattern. Regional haze can arrive in some years and is entirely unpredictable in others. Visibility from the SkyPark is the first thing it affects. Check conditions on the day rather than assuming.

September

31.6 °C / 25.2 °C · 124.9 mm · 13 rain days. The second-driest month, at 124.9 mm across thirteen rain days. The monsoon is winding down. Conditions are as settled as they get outside February. A good month for an outdoor window of any length.

October

31.8 °C / 25.0 °C · 168.3 mm · 15 rain days. The inter-monsoon returns and with it the afternoon and evening thunderstorms, at times severe. Rainfall climbs by a third over September. The Grand Prix closes part of Marina Bay for a weekend. Expect route changes rather than cancellations.

November

31.2 °C / 24.6 °C · 252.3 mm · 19 rain days. Nineteen rain days and 252 mm, the start of the wet season proper. Storms are frequent and can run into the evening. The free light shows are the first thing to be cancelled. Build an indoor alternative into any evening plan.

December

30.5 °C / 24.3 °C · 331.9 mm · 19 rain days. The wettest month of the year at 331.9 mm, and the coolest by daily maximum at 30.5 °C. Nineteen rain days. The northeast monsoon brings long spells rather than short storms. A driving window loses far less to this than a walking one.

The seasons, and which one you want

If you can choose your connection, February and September are the two months that beat the rest: the least rain, the fewest rain days and the most settled afternoons.

Best time of day

Morning, in most months. Humidity is highest before sunrise and the heat has not built, so an 08:00 start on a walking window is a different experience from a 14:00 one. The exception is June to September, when the squalls come early and the afternoon is often the clearer half. Evenings are the other good answer year-round: the temperature drops a couple of degrees, the light shows run at 19:45, 20:00, 20:45 and 21:00, and the city is at its most photogenic.

What to carry, and what it costs you

An umbrella and a litre of water each, which is exactly what one walking operator asks for in its own listing — and it notes that its tours continue in wet weather. Light clothes, shoes you can walk several kilometres in, and covered shoulders and knees for the temples. None of it is expensive; forgetting the water is.

If the forecast is against you, the format is the fix rather than the day. The conservatories, the temples and the malls are all indoors, and a private car keeps you dry between them.

Frequently asked questions