Heavy rain causes flash floods in Dunearn, Bukit Timah

Singapore — Heavy rain on Tuesday (Aug 24) morning caused flash floods in Dunearn Road between Sime Darby Centre and Binjai Park.

Viral videos of areas such as Upper Bukit Timah Road from Hazel Park Terrace to Chestnut Drive, the junction between Woodlands Road and Kranji Expressway, as well as in Sunset Drive and Sunset Way were also circulating online.

While national water agency PUB said that water along Dunearn Road subsided within 40 minutes, it added that people should avoid the Upper Bukit Timah, Woodlands Road and Kranji Expressway areas.

“Due to heavy rain, water levels in drains and canals have reached 90 per cent in these areas,” it added.

The downpour also caused leaks in malls, with videos showing water dripping from the ceilings and escalators in Bukit Timah Plaza, and shoppers walking in large puddles.

A portion of the ceiling below the escalators between B1 and B2 in the mall also collapsed at about 10.30 am.

On Friday, heavy rain caused a flood at about 7 am at the junction of Tampines Avenue 10 and Pasir Ris Drive 12, which is not a flooding hot spot.

The incident caused vehicles to become partially submerged, leaving 13 drivers stuck at the road junction. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) sent two fire engines and two ambulances, with firefighters rescuing five people from four cars in just under an hour.

The heaviest rainfall recorded in western Singapore was 159.8 mm at Bukit Panjang Road rainfall station from 7.50 am to 10.40 am. This corresponds to 109 per cent of Singapore’s average monthly rainfall in Aug, and lies within the top 0.5 per cent of maximum daily rainfall records since 1981, PUB said. /TISG