Meteorological Service Singapore MSS Weather and Climate Services

Overview

The Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) is Singapore's national authority on weather and climate. It is an operational division of the National Environment Agency (NEA), a statutory board under the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment. The MSS website (weather.gov.sg) serves as the public-facing portal for weather forecasts, real-time observations, climate data, and historical records.

History and Founding

Formal meteorological record-keeping in Singapore began in 1869 under the Medical Department of the Straits Settlements, initially to investigate links between disease and local weather. A meteorological branch was formally established under the Malayan Survey Department in 1927, later becoming the Malayan Meteorological Service. Following Singapore's independence in 1965, the meteorological network became the Meteorological Service Singapore, administered under the Ministry of Communications. Singapore joined the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 1966. MSS headquarters moved to Changi Airport in 1983, and in 2002 the service came under the newly created National Environment Agency. The Centre for Climate Research Singapore (CCRS) was established in 2013 as a world-leading tropical climate research centre. A WMO Regional Office was opened in Singapore in 2017, hosted by MSS.

Collections and Holdings

The MSS maintains historical climate records dating to the late nineteenth century, including temperature data from 1929 and rainfall records from 1869. The service operates a network of automated weather stations across Singapore, providing island-wide observations of rainfall, temperature, humidity, and wind. Historical daily records are available for researchers and the public, along with a catalogue of climate data and reports. The MSS also hosts the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC), providing regional haze monitoring and climate services.

Access and Usage

Weather data and climate records are accessible through the MSS website at weather.gov.sg. Historical daily records and climate reports are available; some specialised data require purchase or formal enquiry. The MSS also contributes datasets to Singapore's government open data portal (data.gov.sg). The Weather@SG mobile application provides public access to real-time weather information. Enquiries for climate data may be directed to sales_climo@nea.gov.sg.