"Sumatra" squall causes unstable weather conditions in Singapore
The National Environment Agency (NEA) says strong winds and rain early Saturday were caused by a "Sumatra" squall.
A "Sumatra" squall is an organised line of thunderstorms that develops over Sumatra or the Straits of Malacca that moves eastward towards Singapore.
As such, unstable weather conditions were experienced in Singapore.
The highest rainfall recorded on Saturday morning was 30mm at Kent Ridge and the highest wind speed was 60.5kph recorded at Pasir Panjang at 5.40am.
The station nearest to Toa Payoh is Nanyang Polytechnic and the highest wind speed recorded there was 11kph at about 8am.
On Friday, strong winds and rain caused streets in the Serangoon North and Yio Chu Kang areas to be littered with fallen branches.
According to NParks, fallen branches caused damage to cars, a bus, roofs and fences of two properties.
The roof of a house in Jalan Limbok along Yio Chu Kang Road was damaged when a huge branch fell on it, causing rainwater to seep in.
When the news team visited the house on Saturday, rainwater was still seeping in.
The family is getting help from their insurance company and is also trying to seek compensation from NParks.
-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
Tiger Airways and AirAsia in advertising war
Tiger Airways and AirAsia in advertising war
Tiger Airways has won the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation's Low Cost Airline of the Year award, the carrier announced on Tuesday - as the tit-for-tat between Tiger and Malaysia-based AirAsia continued, with AirAsia chief executive Tony Fernandes quoted by website marketing-interactive.com as describing his rival as "a tiny carrier".
In a media statement on Wednesday, Tiger Airways president and group chief executive Tony Davis appeared to brush aside the latest jibe by declaring that Tiger aims to be among the top three airlines globally.
He added that Tiger, which is partly-owned by Singapore Airlines, had achieved record passenger numbers and growth in excess of 43 per cent this year.
Mr Davis noted that Thai Tiger - a low-cost carrier it is set to start with Thai Airways - was on track to launch in the first quarter of next year.
The move would see it compete head-on with Mr Fernandes' own Thai AirAsia.
In an apparent riposte to the controversial full-page advertisements AirAsia put out in The Straits Times and The Business Times on Tuesday, Mr Davis said, "It's no wonder some of our competitors are getting so rattled."
However, in an interview with Channel NewsAsia, AirAsia's regional head of commercial Kathleen Tan said the advertisements had "nothing to do with Thai Tiger".
Rather, the carrier had thought up the advertisement, which showed a crying tiger cub and the tagline "If Tigers were meant to fly, they would be born with wings", because they "love a good fight on the marketing front once in a while" said Ms Tan.
Tiger recently cancelled numerous flights, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.
"We thought it's a great time to do things that are a little bit fun; a little bit wicked. It's not meant as a one-up, we're not attacking anyone, we were just being clever and witty to assert our marketing leadership," Ms Tan added.
-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-
Tiger Airways has won the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation's Low Cost Airline of the Year award, the carrier announced on Tuesday - as the tit-for-tat between Tiger and Malaysia-based AirAsia continued, with AirAsia chief executive Tony Fernandes quoted by website marketing-interactive.com as describing his rival as "a tiny carrier".
In a media statement on Wednesday, Tiger Airways president and group chief executive Tony Davis appeared to brush aside the latest jibe by declaring that Tiger aims to be among the top three airlines globally.
He added that Tiger, which is partly-owned by Singapore Airlines, had achieved record passenger numbers and growth in excess of 43 per cent this year.
Mr Davis noted that Thai Tiger - a low-cost carrier it is set to start with Thai Airways - was on track to launch in the first quarter of next year.
The move would see it compete head-on with Mr Fernandes' own Thai AirAsia.
In an apparent riposte to the controversial full-page advertisements AirAsia put out in The Straits Times and The Business Times on Tuesday, Mr Davis said, "It's no wonder some of our competitors are getting so rattled."
However, in an interview with Channel NewsAsia, AirAsia's regional head of commercial Kathleen Tan said the advertisements had "nothing to do with Thai Tiger".
Rather, the carrier had thought up the advertisement, which showed a crying tiger cub and the tagline "If Tigers were meant to fly, they would be born with wings", because they "love a good fight on the marketing front once in a while" said Ms Tan.
Tiger recently cancelled numerous flights, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.
"We thought it's a great time to do things that are a little bit fun; a little bit wicked. It's not meant as a one-up, we're not attacking anyone, we were just being clever and witty to assert our marketing leadership," Ms Tan added.
-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-
Changi Airport flights unaffected by haze
Changi Airport flights unaffected by haze
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has said flights at Changi Airport are not affected by the haze which reached unhealthy levels on Thursday.
The three-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) reading rose to 108 at 6pm. A PSI reading between 101-200 is considered unhealthy.
Responding to media queries, CAAS pointed out that Changi Airport is equipped with facilities and procedures to allow safe landing of aircraft in low visibility conditions.
This is in accordance with international standards.
The airport is equipped with an Instrument Landing System (ILS) which provides guidance to pilots for their landing on the runway.
CAAS said the pilot's decision to land is based on the Runway Visual Range, which is the range over which the pilot can see along the runway.
This can be reduced if the haze is severe.
CAAS said that flights can still land at Changi Airport safely even when the Runway Visual Range is below 500 metres.
The visibility reading at Changi Airport on Thursday is between 1,500 and 1,800 metres.
From past experience, the visibility at Changi Airport due to haze has not gone below 550 metres.
During the prolonged haze period in 1997, the lowest visibility reading at Changi Airport was about 800 metres.
Asked about the haze situation, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said: "It is a matter of very serious concern as a health hazard that has not just affected Singapore but also the southern part of West Malaysia."
He said Singapore's Ambassador in Jakarta has been instructed to inform the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry that Foreign Minister George Yeo would like to speak to his Indonesian counterpart Marty Natalegawa on Friday.
Singapore's Environment and Water Resources Minister, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, has also contacted his Indonesian counterpart to register the Republic's concerns.
Separately, Channel NewsAsia has learnt that Indonesia is the only ASEAN member that has not ratified the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution.
The news network also understands that the Indonesian State Minister for the Environment, Prof Dr Gusti Muhammad Hatta, did not attend the 6th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution in Brunei on October 13.
-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has said flights at Changi Airport are not affected by the haze which reached unhealthy levels on Thursday.
The three-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) reading rose to 108 at 6pm. A PSI reading between 101-200 is considered unhealthy.
Responding to media queries, CAAS pointed out that Changi Airport is equipped with facilities and procedures to allow safe landing of aircraft in low visibility conditions.
This is in accordance with international standards.
The airport is equipped with an Instrument Landing System (ILS) which provides guidance to pilots for their landing on the runway.
CAAS said the pilot's decision to land is based on the Runway Visual Range, which is the range over which the pilot can see along the runway.
This can be reduced if the haze is severe.
CAAS said that flights can still land at Changi Airport safely even when the Runway Visual Range is below 500 metres.
The visibility reading at Changi Airport on Thursday is between 1,500 and 1,800 metres.
From past experience, the visibility at Changi Airport due to haze has not gone below 550 metres.
During the prolonged haze period in 1997, the lowest visibility reading at Changi Airport was about 800 metres.
Asked about the haze situation, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said: "It is a matter of very serious concern as a health hazard that has not just affected Singapore but also the southern part of West Malaysia."
He said Singapore's Ambassador in Jakarta has been instructed to inform the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry that Foreign Minister George Yeo would like to speak to his Indonesian counterpart Marty Natalegawa on Friday.
Singapore's Environment and Water Resources Minister, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, has also contacted his Indonesian counterpart to register the Republic's concerns.
Separately, Channel NewsAsia has learnt that Indonesia is the only ASEAN member that has not ratified the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution.
The news network also understands that the Indonesian State Minister for the Environment, Prof Dr Gusti Muhammad Hatta, did not attend the 6th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution in Brunei on October 13.
-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Big, bad haze for 3 more days
Big, bad haze for 3 more days
THE haze is here to stay at least for the next three days said the National Environment Agency (NEA) at a media briefing held yesterday to shed more light on the haze situation here.
However, Singaporeans need not be unduly alarmed as the haze, caused by fires in the Sumatran region of Indonesia, is unlikely to reach hazardous levels here.
Yesterday, the Pollutants Standards Index (PSI) level hit a high of 80, which is in the moderate region. The PSI levels will depend on the intensity of the fires, the wind direction and whether there is rain.
Mr Joseph Hui, Director-General of the Environmental Protection Division of the NEA, said: "If the wind blows in the West-North-West direction and the fires remain constant, it is likely that the PSI levels will increase."
He added that the western part of Singapore will be the most affected.
In response to my paper queries, a Ministry of Health spokesman said that cases of asthma, bronchitis and allergic conjunctivitis can be expected to increase due to the presence of irritants in the air. The spokesman said: "People are advised to avoid vigorous outdoor activities if the PSI is beyond 100 as the air is unhealthy."
News courtesy of Omy
THE haze is here to stay at least for the next three days said the National Environment Agency (NEA) at a media briefing held yesterday to shed more light on the haze situation here.
However, Singaporeans need not be unduly alarmed as the haze, caused by fires in the Sumatran region of Indonesia, is unlikely to reach hazardous levels here.
Yesterday, the Pollutants Standards Index (PSI) level hit a high of 80, which is in the moderate region. The PSI levels will depend on the intensity of the fires, the wind direction and whether there is rain.
Mr Joseph Hui, Director-General of the Environmental Protection Division of the NEA, said: "If the wind blows in the West-North-West direction and the fires remain constant, it is likely that the PSI levels will increase."
He added that the western part of Singapore will be the most affected.
In response to my paper queries, a Ministry of Health spokesman said that cases of asthma, bronchitis and allergic conjunctivitis can be expected to increase due to the presence of irritants in the air. The spokesman said: "People are advised to avoid vigorous outdoor activities if the PSI is beyond 100 as the air is unhealthy."
News courtesy of Omy
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