Trees uprooted as strong winds and heavy rain batter Singapore

SINGAPORE – Strong winds and heavy rain lashed Singapore on the evening of Sept 17, toppling trees, snarling traffic and causing damage to a glass canopy outside UOB Plaza. 

A resident who lives near Mount Faber told The Straits Times that he was running up the hill when he experienced strong winds and saw tree branches falling.

“The next moment, one part of the tree that was in front of me fell,” he said, adding that it was the first time he had witnessed a tree falling since he started exercising in that area about five years ago.

“The route is a one-way road, so all the vehicles and I had to turn around and leave the area.”

Photos and videos seen by ST show fallen trees in various locations in Singapore, including Beach Road, Xilin Avenue, Jalan Membina, on the Pan-Island Expressway before the Bukit Timah Expressway exit, and on the Central Expressway near the Yio Chu Kang Flyover.

In one video, an uprooted tree opposite Parkroyal on Beach Road is seen causing a standstill on a three-lane road as motorists try to manoeuvre their way out via the rightmost lane.

Another photo taken in Jalan Membina shows a car struck by a fallen tree and a lamp post.

Mrs Rachel Feng, 41, told ST that she walked past the area with a friend and saw the scene.

“While we were shocked, we thought it was a miracle that the car remained largely intact,” the human resources manager said.

On the West Coast Highway, Mr Muhammad Elfi was on his way home when a big branch fell on top of his car before he entered the Keppel Viaduct.

“But fortunately, I did not sustain any injuries, so I did not stop and continued my journey home,” said the 37-year-old sales manager.

Nee Soon GRC MP Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, who is also Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development, said in a Facebook post that a few trees in Nee Soon Central fell during the rainstorm. He said he would work with the relevant agencies to clear the fallen branches and trunks of the trees.

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In Raffles Place, some metal debris and shards of glass lay on the road outside UOB Plaza and the Xpeng car showroom. A glass canopy outside UOB Plaza 2 also appeared to be partly damaged.

A UOB spokesperson told ST that the glass panel that damaged the glass canopy was not from the bank’s building. “There was no injury and the area has been cordoned off for the public’s safety,” the spokesperson added.

On Sept 16, the Meteorological Service Singapore said Sumatra squalls may bring widespread thundery showers and gusty winds on a few days in the next fortnight, with more rainfall expected towards the end of the month.

ST has contacted the National Environment Agency, National Parks Board and Singapore Civil Defence Force for more information.

• Additional reporting by Chin Hui Shan

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.