SINGAPORE - From the greens of the Singapore Island Country Club (SICC) to the beaches of Sentosa, the incessant rain that has fallen over the last two days has cast a pall over the island.
The monsoon surge, which began on March 19 and is expected to last till March 21, has seen warnings of flash floods and resulted in disruptions to many businesses and outdoor activities.
Golf clubs such as SICC, Keppel and Sentosa suspended play or closed their courses over March 19 and 20.
The opening round of a professional golf tournament, the US$2.5 million (S$3.3 million) Porsche Singapore Classic, originally scheduled for March 20, was rained out. Organisers of the DP World Tour event at the Laguna National Golf Resort Club said it would now take place on March 21, with the second round set for March 22.
Over in Sentosa, Ola Beach Club at Siloso Beach - where water sports lovers can paddleboard and kayak - saw only 10 per cent of its usual crowd on the afternoon of March 20, said its staff member Gwen Tan.
The drop in business at the club, which also has a restaurant and bar, has had a knock-on effect: It has had to stop hiring part-timers to help deal with the crowd.
“The businesses around us have also been badly hit,” said Ms Tan. “Due to the downpour, we have stopped hiring part-timers for the weekdays.”
Sentosa’s Tanjong Beach Club saw only half of its usual crowd while Rumours Beach Club told The Straits Times that 70 per cent of its reservations were cancelled on March 20.
Some swim schools, such as Bubbles ’N Splashes Swim School, announced the cancellation of classes.
The downpour also hit the food and beverage sector, some of which have tried to be creative in drawing in customers.
For instance, western eatery Southwest@Punggol along New Punggol Road is offering a $20 return voucher for guests who visit during the rain. The 1,000 vouchers will be available on a first-come-first-served basis.
“Our sales were less than $1,000 yesterday and we usually earn around $2,300 on a regular day. I thought of giving return vouchers to appeal to my customers to return,” said its owner Sean Onn.
The Punggol Waterway is filled to the brim during the heavy rain on March 20, 2025.
The Punggol Waterway during heavy rain on March 20.ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
Travellers were not spared either.
Motorists heading into Johor experienced delays on the Causeway, with live images from cameras on the One Motoring site showing heavy traffic at 4pm.
A check by ST on March 20 showed that several flights were listed as cancelled, re-timed, or diverted on the websites of both Changi Airport and Seletar Airport.
At Seletar Airport, flights operated by Malaysian low-cost airline Firefly were affected.PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM SELETAR AIRPORT WEBSITE
Changi Airport’s website shows several rescheduled arrivals for carriers such as Jetstar and Scoot. A TransNusa flight to Jakarta was cancelled, while other departures to cities such as Seoul, Phuket and Jakarta were re-timed.
At Seletar Airport, flights operated by Malaysian low-cost airline Firefly were affected.
ST has contacted the Changi Airport Group, which operates both airports, for more information.
In a LinkedIn post, aviation firm Sats called for understanding and patience, saying that its Singapore Hub team may “experience some disruptions” at both airports amid the deluge.
“Our staff have been reminded to be extra vigilant as heavy rain may affect visibility,” it said. “Lightning risks may mean that staff cannot work on the tarmac to service aircraft and loading/unloading of bags and cargo may be delayed.
“Drivers must be careful as wet roads increase the risk of skidding, while wet pathways pose slip and fall hazards. Our customer service agents are on hand to give passengers and air cargo customers guidance, especially if bad weather delays flights.”
It acknowledged that the delays caused by weather may impact passengers, as well as airline and cargo customers, but said that the team is “doing all we can” to provide support during the monsoon surge.
Netizens, meanwhile, have been documenting the weather online, sharing photos of low-hanging clouds swirling around the tops of iconic buildings such as Pinnacle@Duxton and parts of the Central Business District.
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