We’re coming to the end of Singapore’s second annual rainy season, which makes predicting exactly what the weather is going to do at a particularly time tricky.
There’s a good chance of rain on any day during the race weekend, but whether it will interfere with the F1 action is a different matter.
Thunderstorms are abundant in the area but the experience of the past two Grands Prix shows they tend to peter out before the action starts on the track.
You can see this pattern of thunderstorm activity today on the Singapore National Environment Agency rain radar.
The earliest session of the weekend is first practice on Friday, which starts at 6pm local time. The race starts at 8pm on Sunday.
Hot temperatures (in the mid-to-high twenties even at night time) mean that after rain has fallen it dries up quickly.
We haven’t had any wet running at Singapore before so it remains to be seen what would happen to the drivers’ visibility if water spray was added to the floodlit conditions of the night race.
If you’re in the area and can update us on the weather please let us know in the comments.
Weather radars
Singapore Grand Prix circuit location
2010 Singapore Grand Prix
BasCB
23rd September 2010, 9:02
I would like to see some wet running on Friday. If it works OK with the lights, then a damp qualifying and/or race would be nice.
US_Peter (@us_peter)
23rd September 2010, 19:18
Can’t wait to see what it’s like. I’m guessing the visibility will be a lot worse. Normally when it’s raining the sunlight is diffused and diffracted through all the clouds, making for nice ambient light from all around. With overhead flood lights it will probably create lots of mini rainbows under each light.
Chua
23rd September 2010, 9:05
I’ll be able to update the weather periodically throughout the weekend, will be at the Bay Grandstand :)
It rained pretty heavily yesterday in the afternoon through the early evening, but stopped at around 7 or so in most places. It’s looking exactly the same today again.
From the same website that you posted Keith:
http://app2.nea.gov.sg/3hnowcast.aspx
The circuit is at the area labelled “City”.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
23rd September 2010, 9:09
Great stuff thanks Chua!
SPIDERman
23rd September 2010, 12:10
Looking at this fore cast what are the chances that if the rain may be substancially high and the race eventualy leading to red flaging? i suspect this may become the case
Chua
24th September 2010, 7:18
Keith, I dropped you a mail regarding linking up with the liveblog for updates from the race with twitter, I’m a twitter laggard. Anyway if you missed that, I’ll be tweeting from @czhihong.
Magnificent Geoffrey (@magnificent-geoffrey)
24th September 2010, 0:40
Awesome, we’ll have our own on-the-scene correspondant!
Mike
24th September 2010, 3:52
Chua has been commenting quite a few times with really insightful stuff, thanks dude!
roberttty
23rd September 2010, 9:11
It’s raining buckets now on Thursday 4pm Singapore time
KNF
23rd September 2010, 10:19
Based on yesterday’s observations, the public roads at 7pm looks like it’s wet enough for intermediates, but once enough standing water is removed from the racing line, the first guy to risk slicks in the race will have an advantage.
Sush Meerkat
23rd September 2010, 14:20
I don’t think you can risk slicks, its a street tracks, one slight off and its DNF coupled with the Track being hard enough on the drivers in the dry too!
Eric
23rd September 2010, 9:24
hot lights and cold water dont like each other, could end up with a lot of broken glass on the track, hope this doesn’t happen.
Charlie
23rd September 2010, 11:15
The rain water isn’t cold. It’s more like lukewarm bath temperature.
This is the equator, don’t forget!
wasiF1
23rd September 2010, 14:30
If it rains then the race will be spectacular to watch.
Calum
23rd September 2010, 21:37
I regularly use the preinstalled iPhone weather app to check F1 destinations in the build up, Singapore is always Thunderstorms or heavy rain, yet we never see rain there even though the race is at Monsoon Season!!
Jay
24th September 2010, 2:59
The rain typically buckets down at about 4 in the afternoon. On a normal day it will end by 7 pm, even if it does go on, it will typically continue as a light shower.
We very rarely see thunderstorms late into the evenings, but you never know, this weekend may be one of those rare occasions! It’s been that kind of season
tharris19
24th September 2010, 3:20
With it being towards the end of the second monsoon season the weather is more predictable than the beginning or middle of the season. The good thing is they are not racing during the first monsoon season.
ppsun
24th September 2010, 5:37
http://weather.nea.gov.sg/MapControl.aspx?ds=RadarMaps
NEA weather website for mobile phones. Takes weather feed from NEA’s main site. And includes wind speed, directions, air temp, humidity etc.
Usually in SGP – even if it pours the whole day – it stops after 6 pm but can sometimes start up again after 10.30pm. Tidal height during race times are fairly moderate, so don’t expect much drainage issues.
roberttty
24th September 2010, 8:25
It was raining heavily between 12pm and 1pm today
be.on.edge
24th September 2010, 8:40
looking east right now, there is a *huge* low black cloud, and it is travelling this way…
be.on.edge
24th September 2010, 9:09
it’s now POURING!!
be.on.edge
24th September 2010, 9:45
stopped for now. patches of blue sky are visible.
Matt G
24th September 2010, 17:57
I think there is a good chance that the race will go for 2 hours rather than the full race distance.