SINGAPORE – The mercury hit 36.3 deg C in Choa Chu Kang on March 24, the highest temperature Singapore has experienced so far in 2024.

According to information available on the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) website, the sweltering record-high heat was recorded in the north-western estate at 2.41pm.

Before this, the highest temperature of 2024 was 36 deg C, recorded on Sentosa on March 13.

In a statement on March 23, the MSS said Singapore’s weather in 2024 could be even warmer than in 2023 – which is the country’s fourth-warmest year historically since records began in 1929.

On May 13, 2023, the highest daily maximum temperature of 37 deg C was recorded in Ang Mo Kio. This was not only the warmest day in May on record, but also tied with April 17, 1983, as the highest-ever temperature recorded in Singapore.

The weatherman said the daily maximum temperature is expected to be around 34 deg C to 35 deg C on most days in the second half of March, and might rise even higher on days with less cloud coverage.

As at 4pm, the highest temperature recorded for March 25 was 35.4 deg C at Paya Lebar, according to the MSS website.

Malaysian news agency Bernama reported on March 22 that there had been one death due to heatstroke in Pahang, and 27 other cases of heat-related illnesses in Malaysia due to the current scorching temperatures. The hot and dry spell has also caused significant issues in crop cultivation and livestock farming.

Several parts of Malaysia, such as Kuala Lumpur, Kedah, Perak, Pahang and Selangor, have been issued Level 1 or Level 2 heatwave alerts.

A Level 1 alert is given when temperatures at a particular location hover between 35 deg C and 37 deg C over a set number of days, while a Level 2 warning is issued when temperatures stay between 37 deg C and 40 deg C over three consecutive days.