At four in the afternoon the sky over Marina Bay turns purple. Fifteen minutes later it is bucketing down, and by six the pavements are steaming in the sun again. That is Singapore’s weather in almost every month of the year. The city sits just north of the equator: around 31 degrees by day, and the nights barely cool off.
So there is no dry season here, no weeks without a drop. What does change is how the rain falls. Usually it is a short, heavy thunderstorm late in the afternoon, in the hottest months more often early in the morning, and in December and January sometimes a whole grey day. Because the city is built for rain, with covered walkways between the metro stations and air con in every mall, there is no month when you need to give Singapore a miss.
The short version: February to April is the most pleasant, with February the driest month of the year. May to September is the hottest, October and November bring afternoon thunder, and December and January are the wettest. Travelling on into Malaysia? Then the other side of the border often decides your month more than Singapore itself. Below is what each period brings, and how to turn it into a route.
February to April: the most pleasant months
This is the time to be outdoors. February is the driest month of the year, and there is often a breeze that makes the heat bearable. March and April are the sunniest months, although April brings more afternoon rumbles again.
That makes these weeks ideal for anything you do on foot or by bike. Walk through Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam without ducking for cover every hour, hike the Southern Ridges and the wavy Henderson Waves bridge, or catch the bumboat from Changi Point to Pulau Ubin and cycle the sandy tracks to the Chek Jawa boardwalk. And in the evening a rooftop looking out over the bay never looks better than under a clear sky.
Our verdict: the best weeks for Singapore, especially if you want to walk the city rather than criss-cross it on the metro
May to September: hot, with the showers in the morning
These are the hottest months, at around 32 degrees by day. The showers now often fall early in the morning, so the afternoons and evenings tend to stay dry. Now and then haze drifts over from the region and the skyline goes a little grey. On a day like that, check the air quality before you plan a long walk.
For a stopover this is a great time: a day around Marina Bay, an evening under the Supertrees and on to your next stop. It is also a good time to head from Singapore to Tioman. From June to October the island is hot with the odd afternoon shower, and the turtles nest in Juara. And in Kuala Lumpur, June, July and August are the driest months of the year.
Our verdict: hot but very doable, and the months to pair Singapore with Kuala Lumpur or a week on Tioman
October and November: afternoon thunder
This is when the inter-monsoon starts. Almost every afternoon a thunderstorm rolls through, and November gets wetter and wetter. The mornings are still often clear, so that is when you plan your time outdoors.
There is also a reason to come right now. Deepavali falls in October or November, and Little India celebrates it with lights across its streets. The autumn also brings the Formula 1 race, the one weekend when hostel prices really climb, so book well ahead.
On the Malaysian side, November is the wettest month of the year in Kuala Lumpur and Melaka, and the monsoon starts on the east coast. The ferries to Tioman then run far less often, so if you want to see the island, go in October.
Our verdict: come for Deepavali, head out early and make sure you are somewhere indoors by three
December and January: the wettest months
The northeast monsoon sometimes brings a whole day of grey sky and rain, and December is the wettest month of the year. It is a touch cooler, though, around 30 degrees, and the city is at its most festive: around Christmas, and above all around Chinese New Year, when Chinatown is hung with red lanterns.
A wet day here is not a lost day. The hawker centres are covered, the museums are cool, and at Changi you can spend a whole afternoon around the Rain Vortex at Jewel without getting wet once. Bring an umbrella and let your day move with the sky.
Across the border, January is a strong month. In Melaka the driest stretch of the year begins, and in Kuala Lumpur January and February are a lot drier than the autumn. Tioman is in the middle of the monsoon, though, with few ferries and most dive schools closed, although Juara has its surf season then.
Our verdict: the months for hawker centres, museums and the festive lights, with Melaka as a dry next stop
How to plan your day around the rain
The showers in Singapore are predictable, so make use of it. Do the walking and the green in the morning: the Southern Ridges, the Botanic Gardens or the TreeTop Walk through the MacRitchie rainforest (closed on Mondays). Save the museum, the mall or a long lunch in a hawker centre for the afternoon, when the storm breaks.
By evening it is usually dry again, and that is exactly when the city starts to shine for free. Garden Rhapsody lights up the Supertrees to music at 7.45pm and 8.45pm, and Spectra plays on the waterfront at Marina Bay Sands at 8pm and 9pm, plus 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays. How to string those days together neighbourhood by neighbourhood is in our 4-day Singapore itinerary.
Our verdict: outdoors in the morning, indoors in the afternoon, and flat on your back under the Supertrees at a quarter to eight
Each period at a glance
| Period | Weather | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| February | driest month, often a breeze | walking, Pulau Ubin |
| March and April | sunniest, more afternoon thunder in April | city walks, rooftops |
| May to September | hottest, showers often early in the morning | stopover, on to Tioman |
| October and November | afternoon thunder, November ever wetter | mornings outdoors, Deepavali |
| December and January | wettest, sometimes a whole day of rain | hawker centres, museums, Changi |
Best time to visit Singapore and Malaysia
For most backpackers Singapore is the start or the end of a trip through Malaysia, and then you pick your month by the stops that come after it.
From January to March you travel north via Melaka. Melaka is at its driest then, with February the driest month, and in Singapore itself February is the driest too. That is the best combination of the year if you are heading overland to Kuala Lumpur.
From March to October you can add Tioman. March to May gives the calmest sea and the clearest water, June to October is hot with the odd shower. Which island suits your month is in Perhentian, Tioman or Langkawi.
In June, July and August Kuala Lumpur is at its driest, and in Singapore the showers fall mostly in the morning then. How to tie both countries into one trip is in our Singapore and Malaysia itinerary, and when each coast of Malaysia is dry is in the best time to visit Malaysia.
How hot is it really?
The difference between the months is small. In December and January it is around 30 degrees by day, from February to September around 32, and in October and November around 31. At night it barely drops, so you do not get a cool evening to recover. What you do get is air con, and plenty of it: on the metro and in the malls you will be glad of a thin layer.
You feel the humidity more than the temperature. Just refill your bottle at the tap, because the tap water is safe to drink everywhere, and put on mosquito repellent during the day: dengue does occur here. Which jabs you need for the rest of your trip is on our vaccinations page.
Our verdict: pack light, with an umbrella for the afternoon and a thin layer for the air con
What is the best month to visit Singapore?
February, if you have to pick one. It is the driest month of the year, there is often a breeze, and across the border in Melaka it is at its driest too. March and April are the sunniest months and just as good, with a few more afternoon thunderstorms in April.
But Singapore works in every month. In the wet months you plan the morning outdoors and the afternoon indoors, and the light shows at Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay go ahead every evening regardless. Here for a stopover? Then the month matters even less. What to do with those days is on our Singapore page, and everything practical about the country is on our Singapore country page.
