Northeast Monsoon (wet phase)

January weather in Singapore

Wet, breezy, and the coolest month of the year. Monsoon surges can bring hours of widespread moderate to heavy rain.

December February

Mean temperature

26.8°C

24.3 to 30.6°C

Rainfall

221.6 mm

13 rain days

Humidity / wind

83.5%

2.6 m/s mean wind

Thunder / lightning

6 / 7

days in a typical month

Compared with the year

  • Rain vs annual monthly share10%
  • Hottest month of the yearMay (28.6°C)
  • Wettest month of the yearDecember (331.9 mm)
  • Driest month of the yearFebruary (105.1 mm)

Normals from Changi Climate Station, 1991-2020.

What to check this month

480 km radar Flood alerts 24-hour forecast
Grey monsoon rain over tropical public housing
Northeast monsoon rain is often widespread and persistent, not a 20-minute burst.

What January actually feels like

  • A compact umbrella is daily kit. Monsoon surges can rain for hours, not 20 minutes.
  • Mornings are the coolest of the year. A light layer is not ridiculous at 7am.
  • Watch flood alerts if a surge stalls over the island overnight.

Monthly rainfall at Changi

1991-2020 normals. December is more than three times as wet as February.

Values in millimetres. Source: Meteorological Service Singapore.

All months

January February March April May June July August September October November December