Meteorological Service Singapore

Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) is a division of the National Environment Agency, Singapore. MSS's mission is to observe and understand the weather and climate affecting Singapore and to provide services in support of national needs and international co-operation. It collects and maintain reliable long-term national weather records, provides reliable weather and climate services. It also conducts research to advance understanding and prediction of the weather and climate of Singapore and the region. It does risk and impact assessment of natural environmental hazards.^[2]

History

The following timeline represents major developments of MSS.^[3]

• 2013: MSS entered a new phase of R&D with the launch of The Centre for Climate Research Singapore (CCRS)^[4]
• 2002: MSS became part of the National Environment Agency under the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources
• 1993: The ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC), hosted by MSS, was launched.^[5]
• 1981: When Changi Airport opened in 1981, the Forecast Office was relocated there followed by the MSS headquarters in 1983
• 1972: MSS began receiving real-time data from meteorological satellites in space
• 1969: Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) was established as a Department of the newly set up Ministry of Communications
• 1966: Singapore joined the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), a specialised agency of the United Nations
• 1965: When Singapore achieved independence, the Meteorological Service in Singapore came under the then Deputy Prime Minister’s Office
• 1953: The Upper Air Observatory was established to make upper air observations using balloon-borne radiosondes
• 1948: The first weather radar in Singapore, able to detect rain clouds up to 240 km away, was installed at Kallang Airport
• 1937: A full scale meteorological service was established with the setting up of a Forecast Office at Kallang Airport
• 1931: Headquarters of the Malayan Meteorological Service was transferred from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore
• 1930: The Meteorological Branch was constituted as the Malayan Meteorological Service, serving British Malaya including Singapore
• 1929: First full-scale meteorological station was set up at Mount Faber. Start of Singapore’s temperature records.
• 1927: A Meteorological Branch was formally established within the Malayan Survey Department
• 1869: Start of Singapore’s rainfall records.

Department

The key departments within MSS are:

• Centre for Climate Research Singapore (CCRS). CCRS does tropical climate and weather research focusing on the Southeast Asia region.
• Meteorological Systems Department (MSD). MSD provides support for meteorological equipment, computer systems and key installations in order to meet MSS's operational and technical requirements.
• Risk and Resource Department (RRD). RRD analyses risks and assesses their impact from the corporate/organisational angle as well as those pertaining to environmental /natural hazards.
• Weather Services Department (WSD). WSD provides weather forecasts, warnings, monitoring and assessment. It provides such information to critical sectors like the civil aviation, military, maritime, private/public agencies and the general public.

References

External links

• Official website