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Singaporeans may be used to hot weather, but they are still feeling the heat from the record dry spell that is likely to persist into the first half of March. We look at how some people have changed their daily routine to cope with the weather. 1. “To go” is the way to go Some are choosing to pack their favourite chicken rice or char kway teow home, instead of eating at hawker centres. Hawker Kristen Choong, who runs Ji Ji Wanton Noodle Specialist at Hong Lim Food Centre, said there has been a noticeable increase in the number of people ordering takeaway meals during lunch hour. But she added: “The timing of people coming in during lunch is the same, as lunch hours are fixed.” Marketing manager Jereen Leow, who works in Shenton Way, is among those who are choosing to eat in the comfort of their air-conditioned offices - even though the average temperature for February has been 31.9 deg C, the same as the usual average for the month. Said Ms Leow, 32: “Usually I enjoy going out for lunch as it’s a precious mid-day break to unwind. But now I just buy my food and can’t wait to rush back to the office.” Some eating places with no air-conditioning are also seeing a drop in patrons. A worker at Yi Fan Restaurant in Toa Payoh, which uses only fans, said: “Business this week is about half compared to last week because of the weather.” 2. Cooling drinks are hot right now It seems one man’s bane is another’s boon. Sellers of cold beverages and cooling drinks, such as herbal tea, are getting more customers who are eager to quench their thirst. “There has been about a 10 per cent increase this month in people buying herbal tea due to the hot weather,” said Mr Lee Ming Li, manager of Quan-Li Tonic in Toa Payoh. Added a drinks seller at Chang Cheng Mee Wah coffee shop: “There are definitely more people buying cold drinks now. Business is up about 20 per cent since it started getting so hot.” 3. The not-so-great outdoors The unusually dry weather has deterred some from outdoor activities. Mr Simon Tan, 57, manager of Cycle Max at East Coast Park, said that business has fallen by about 10 per cent compared with January. The bigger crowd blunts the drop in earning on weekends, so business is affected most on weekdays, even in the evenings when it is supposedly cooler. “We've started a promotion - a one-for-one promotion, where you rent one hour and get one hour free,” he said. Still, not everyone is cutting back on exercise. Civil servant Eddie Long, 28, said: “I ensure that I am properly hydrated before heading out for a run, and make a conscious effort to run slightly later in the evenings when it is cooler.” Other than drinking more water, he is also hitting the gym more often. “I have substituted other forms of exercise that can be done indoors to get my cardio fix,” he said. 4. Under the weather - literally Singaporeans have to take extra care of their health in this prolonged dry season. Dr Philip Koh, the medical board chairman of Healthway Medical Group, said that there is usually a 10 per cent spike in people coming down with flu-like symptoms during the Chinese New Year period. But the numbers have not dropped this year despite the end of the festivities, he said. “The dry weather is probably one of the main factors.” The senior family physician, who emphasised the importance of drinking enough water throughout the day, said: “When we are indulging in New Year goodies, we remind ourselves to drink water. But now that visiting is over, we forget to do so.” Similarly, Dr Chua Ee Fang of the Chua Ee Fang Acupuncture Centre in Changi Road, said she has seen about 20 per cent to 30 per cent more patients who were down with colds, sore throats and cough in the past three weeks. The traditional Chinese medicine physician said that these ailments are usually associated with dry weather. “People are still eating the Chinese New Year goodies left over from the holiday and this adds to the ill effects of the dry weather,” she said. To avoid a trip to the doctor, she advised, people should consume drinks like barley, chrysanthemum tea and fruit juice to keep their immune system up. But it is not easy to keep healthy in current conditions, she said. “I am having a bit of a sore throat myself,” she said. 5. Local greens may cost more Prices of local produce may go up if rain does not come soon. According to reports, many farms here said they have had to increase their water consumption significantly because of the dry spell. A spokesman for hydroponics farm Blooms & Greens was quoted by MyPaper as saying that the farm now has to water the plants in its nursery thrice a day instead of twice. On top of that, the farm is also using an automated irrigation system for about an hour every day. As a result, operation costs has jumped by about 20 per cent. Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/dry-spell-singapore-5-ways-life-has-changed-20140227 --------------------- I felt differently..the temperature is still the same as before..it's more windy & less humid because of no rain..with no rain meant that going outdoors is better

Think it's almost like autumn, and many leaves are brown and falling all round you? You are not quite wrong, you know, for Singapore's persistently dry weather has led to more dry, fallen leaves filling streets, pavements and drains, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Thursday. Twenty-five per cent more dry leaves were swept from the streets in February, compared with December 2013. In January, 15 per cent more had to be cleared, it said. The dry spell "has led to heavy leaf shedding and an accumulation of leaves in some public areas", said an NEA spokesman. Leaf litter weighing 1,750 tonnes was collected in February, which is equivalent to 350,000 filled rubbish bags. Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/dry-spell-fills-streets-pavements-and-drains-more-fallen-leaves-usual-

A young tree with dried out branches and leaves seen at the entrance of Nicoll Highway MRT Station. The dry spell in Singapore over the past few weeks has prompted national water agency PUB to ramp up the supply of NEWater and desalinated water to maintain water levels in the reservoirs. For the past two weeks, 20 to 25 million gallons per day (mgd) of NEWater have been pumped into reservoirs to top up water levels, a PUB spokesperson said in response to TODAY’s queries. Over the past 19 days, only 0.2mm of rainfall — which fell in Jurong on Sunday — was recorded across the island, the National Environment Agency said. Skies were overcast yesterday afternoon, but no rain fell. Last month, only 75.4mm of rainfall and five “rain days” — defined as having a minimum rainfall of 0.2mm — were recorded at the Meteorological Services Singapore’s Changi climate station. In comparison, the long-term average rainfall for January is 242.4mm and there are, on average, 15 rain days in the month. The NEA said the Republic is in the dry phase of the Northeast Monsoon season, which is characterised by generally windy conditions, cooler temperatures and drier weather. The phase set in earlier this year, and is expected to last till the end of this month or early next month, the NEA said. For the next two weeks, “generally fair and occasionally windy conditions” can be expected on most days while some passing showers can be expected on a few days towards the end of next week, the NEA said. The rainfall for this month is expected to be below average, it added. The NEA said Singapore last experienced similar dry periods between Jan 26 and Feb 10 in 2009, and between Feb 3 and 18 in 2011. NEWater and desalinated water are two of Singapore’s four national water sources, meeting up to 30 per cent and 25 per cent, respectively, of the country’s water needs. The other sources are imported water and water from local catchment areas. During dry months, the PUB works closely with the NEA to monitor weather conditions and the implications on reservoir levels, the PUB spokesperson said. She noted that, as with previous years, water usage increased slightly — by about 10 to 15 mgd — two weeks before Chinese New Year due to activities such as the traditional spring cleaning. After the festivities, it returns to the usual level. Nevertheless, the spokesperson called on the community and industries to “play their part to save and conserve our precious water resource”. Meanwhile, due to dry weather conditions in the region, fires and hot spots were detected yesterday in central Sumatra, the NEA said. A total of 108 hot spots with “a few isolated plumes” of smoke were visible over northern and central Sumatra, it added. Nevertheless, the NEA said that Singapore is not likely to be affected by the smoke from the fires in Sumatra due to prevailing winds blowing from the north-east. It will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as necessary, the agency added. Source: http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/water-supplies-ramped-dry-spell-hits-spore

From ST Forum: http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/...ory_697331.html Mindef should spell out NS deferment criteria DR PATRICK Tan's deferment of his national service (NS) for 12 years ('Patrick Tan on his medical studies'; last Saturday) brings to mind the stories of many other talented Singaporeans who were not allowed to defer their NS. Some are talented musicians, sportsmen or artists who have qualified for prestigious schools or have trained hard enough to don national colours for competitions. The Ministry of Defence's (Mindef) stock reply is that national servicemen are granted deferment only in rare and exceptional cases. After reading Dr Tan's clarification, I cannot help but ask what the thus far unspecified criteria are that would allow for discretionary deferment. Dr Tan's case suggests to me that budding musicians, artists or sportsmen are deemed less important than future doctors or scientists. If Singapore is to be vibrant and enriching, talented citizens in any field should be supported. What are the necessary conditions for deferment? Mindef's transparency will set the record straight and help in future appeals. Lim Guay Cheng (Ms)