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Flood risks in central, western Singapore as heavy showers continue

SINGAPORE - It is the second day this week of heavy showers across the island and flash floods may occur, national water agency PUB said. The Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS), a unit under the National Environment Agency, issued a heavy rain warning on Tuesday morning (Aug 31), with moderate to heavy rain falling over central and western Singapore and heavy rain in the east. At 8.20am, PUB said water levels in Commonwealth Lane and Commonwealth Drive are near full capacity following heavy morning showers. Flood risk was identified along these two roads and the public was advised to avoid the area for an hour. At about 9am, water level sensors in the industrial area of Tanjong Penjuru showed that drains there had reached at least 90 per cent capacity, but subsequently subsided. According to the MSS website, the lowest recorded temperature today was 23.8 deg C in Novena at 8am. Thundery showers are expected to continue for the rest of the week. More on this topic   Related Story Flash floods in Hougang Avenue 8, Punggol Way after heavy morning rain   Related Story S'pore could experience heavier rain over next 2 months

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Golf: Rahm grabs US PGA Memorial halfway lead with morning hole-in-one

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Champion Jon Rahm aced the par-three 16th hole with an eight-iron from 183 yards on Saturday (June 5) morning and grabbed a two-stroke lead after the second round of the US PGA Memorial. The world No. 3 from Spain was forced to finish his final five holes on Saturday morning after a Thursday storm delayed play and sunset struck on Friday with almost a third of the field unable to finish round two. Rahm shared the lead with American Patrick Cantlay, who completed his second round on Friday on eight under, when he began Saturday morning but opened with a bogey at the par-four 14th, finding a bunker on his approach. The 26-year-old Spaniard seized the lead alone with his hole-in-one at the par-three 16th, the third ace of his PGA career. "Every hole-in-one is unexpected, but it was just one of those good numbers," Rahm said. "I just aimed between the pin and the edge of the bunker, hit a straight eight-iron and let the wind do the rest, and it went in. "I did not think any ball landing short of the pin would go in just because it's coming in with such height from the elevated tee and the greens are soft... early on, I was pretty sure that ball was going to be past the hole about 15 feet." Rahm followed with a birdie putt from just outside six feet at the par-four 17th and parred the last to complete a seven-under 65 and seize the lead on 10-under 134 after 36 holes. "I'm in a good position. Yeah, I'm comfortable," Rahm said. "I've been looking forward to it. I've been doing a lot of backdoor top 10s and I'm happy I'm in contention for once." Rahm has 10 top-10 finishes so far this season, including shares of fifth at the Masters and eighth at the PGA Championship, but his only top-four result was a runner-up effort last October at the Zozo Championship at Sherwood. Rahm is chasing a sixth US PGA victory and his first since last August's BMW Championship. Cantlay (67), whose three US PGA Tour titles include the 2019 Memorial, was second on 136 with American Scottie Scheffler (71) matched for third on 138 on Saturday morning by compatriots Max Homa (69), Xander Schauffele (70) and 2020 PGA Championship winner Collin Morikawa (72). Mexico's Carlos Ortiz (68) and American Rickie Fowler (70) shared seventh on 139.

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Formula One: Back to front as homeboy Leclerc leads Ferrari double in Monaco

MONTE CARLO (AFP) - Ferrari's Charles Leclerc stormed around his hometown track with the fastest time in second free practice for the Monaco Grand Prix on Thursday (May 20) after trailing in last in the morning session. Leclerc only managed a handful of laps in the morning after gearbox problems, but under crisp blue skies showed he can't be discounted in Sunday's fifth GP of the season. It was an impressive performance from Ferrari as new boy Carlos Sainz was second fastest, with seven-time world champion and current championship leader Lewis Hamilton in third for Mercedes. Hamilton, targeting his 99th win on Sunday, leads Dutchman Max Verstappen by 14 points after four races in the chase for the drivers crown. Verstappen was hot on Hamilton's heels in the second session placing seven hundredths of a second behind him in his Red Bull. Monaco's iconic street circuit welcomed 7,500 fans to its grandstands for practice as the race returned to the schedule after a coronavirus-enforced cancellation in 2020. There will be no on-track action Friday with the next practice session on Saturday morning before qualifying. More on this topic   Related Story Formula One: Leclerc hopes for better luck at home race in Monaco   Related Story Motor racing: McLaren take on a retro look for return of the Monaco GP

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Thinner crowds at parks, markets as people stick to groups of 2 on first day of tighter Covid-19 rules

SINGAPORE - Fewer people were out and about at parks, hawker centres and markets on Sunday morning (May 16), the first day of the new tightened Covid-19 restrictions. Until June 13, people are only allowed out in groups of two and dining in is prohibited. When The Straits Times visited popular parks and nature reserves like East Coast Park, Singapore Botanic Gardens and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, regular park goers said that the Sunday morning crowd had thinned out and people were generally abiding by the rules. At Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, safe distancing ambassadors and National Parks Board (NParks) staff were spotted monitoring the crowd. Most hikers were seen keeping to the two to a group rule and wearing masks as they hiked. The rock at the summit, a popular spot for pictures, was covered up with a "Work In Progress" sign. Hikers told ST that there were noticeably fewer people around on Sunday. Housewife Ms Wong, 56, who went hiking on Saturday and Sunday morning, said: "The crowd in the morning yesterday was so big, it seemed like a carnival. Everyone was trying to hike in big groups of friends or family before the new restrictions. "But today, it is so much less packed. It doesn't seem like the usual weekend crowd." Those at East Coast Park made a similar observation. Ms Sophia Fu, 35, told ST that the park was usually busy normally on the weekend, but not so on Sunday. Ms Fu, who brought her own chair, was sitting alone next to a blocked off shelter enjoying the sea breeze. Ms Sophia Fu enjoying the sea breeze on her own at East Coast Park on May 16, 2021. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG "Every weekend I come here with my husband so the new rules don't really affect us. He likes to exercise near the beach and I like the fresh air...If everyone just follows the rules then this will be over soon," said the clerk who is pregnant with her first child. A cyclist, Mr Eric Lim, 36, who had just finished a morning ride, was also just sitting on his own with his bicycle parked next to him. He told ST that he would usually be having breakfast with a group of four other cyclists. "It's a bummer we can't chat and have breakfast together, but at least we can still go out," said the banker who added that he hoped outdoor activities would still be allowed as he always looks forward to cycling and hiking after a long work week. Regular park goers at Singapore Botanic Gardens, said that the crowd size was comparable to a weekday morning. Ms Anis Abdul was having a picnic with a friend on a field in front of the pond. The pair come every weekend to catch up. "There's usually a lot of families here with kids. This field is usually full of people like expats and domestic helpers having picnics in groups, but it seems no one is around," said the 26-year-old who works in public relations. A group of about 15 foreign domestic workers were spotted doing yoga while keeping at least 3m apart. The session, run by social enterprise HelpHer Do Better, had a permit for the free yoga class and was being observed from a distance by NParks officers. Attendees registered, scanned a QR code, and had their temperature taken. At Tekka Market and Food Centre, tables and chairs are wrapped in cling wrap and about a quarter of the stalls were closed. At least four safe distance ambassadors were patrolling the area. As of Sunday, eateries and hawker centres will offer only takeaway and delivery. The Ministry of Health (MOH) said this is to reduce the risk of transmission, due to the higher risk posed by customers in close proximity and dining in for prolonged periods with their masks off. Temasek Indian Rojak stall operator Madam Jarina Bagam, 55, who has been working at the stall for 17 years, estimated that footfall was off by about 70 per cent. "Business this morning is worse than during the circuit breaker as people are more aware of the virus now and scared of contracting it," she said, adding that she is worried for her business in the month to come. Stall operators at Marine Parade Central Market and Food Centre also expressed concern about their businesses in light of the new restrictions. Many stalls were closed, and red tape placed on the tables and seats in the hawker centre. Ms Elayne Ang, who sells carrot cake and hokkien mee at the market, said business had dropped by more than half by 10am on Sunday morning, disclosing that she usually would have sold about 100 plates by then.

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Train services return to normal following Wednesday’s widespread disruption

SINGAPORE - A day after one of the worst power-related disruptions in years that hit three MRT lines and left thousands stranded, train services on the lines resumed, with commuters saying that their morning rides were uneventful. At about 6.45am at Yew Tee MRT station on Thursday (Oct 15) morning, train services were running as usual, and commuters who spoke to The Straits Times said nothing was amiss when they took their daily morning rides to work, school and camp. A power fault shut down train service on parts of the North-South and East-West MRT lines at around 7pm on Wednesday, severely disrupting the evening rush-hour commute for many travellers. Half an hour later, the fault disrupted service along a 16-station stretch of the Circle Line. Preliminary investigations indicate that a faulty power cable had caused the breakdown, which is one of the most serious power-related incidents to hit the MRT network in recent years. Service resumed at all stations along the North-South and East-West lines at 10.35pm. On Thursday morning, some were unaware of the previous night's disruptions, as services were back to normal. Mr Muhammad Nur Nazrul, a full-time national serviceman, said that his commute from Hougang to Yew Tee went without a hitch. He arrived at the latter at about 6.45am. "I only found out about the disruptions this morning through the news. It was quite surprising to me, especially as so many stations were affected," said the 22-year-old. Commuter Suresh Kumar said he left the house about five minutes earlier. Business as usual at Buona Vista MRT station The project manager, who is in his 60s, said his ride to Jurong East from Yew Tee was without delay. Over at Jurong East MRT station at 7.40am, a steady stream of commuters made their way to and from the bus interchange and the train platform during the morning peak hour. More on this topic   Related Story Train services restored on North-South, East-West, Circle lines after disruption due to power fault   Related Story MRT power fault: I was stuck on train for 3 hours, says commuter Describing the situation that she experienced at Jurong East station the night before, Ms Jane Tan, a public servant, said on Thursday morning that the bus interchange had been packed as commuters streamed out of the MRT station after it was announced that there was no train service. She took a bus towards Serangoon where she lives, and got off at Clementi MRT station to see if she could hop onto Pasir Ris-bound train. But she was out of luck. "It was like a choked toilet," she said of the crowd that had formed around the station. The 26-year-old added that she had to forgo a dinner appointment at Nex with her friend, and instead had a meal at Clementi before heading home. However, she was not upset. Commuters at Jurong East MRT station at 7am on Oct 15, 2020. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH "It could have been a lot worse if the full workforce was out, so I'm thankful that I eventually got home okay," she said. Her commute from Serangoon to Jurong East on Thursday went smoothly. Ms Siti Hasna, a housewife, said she had heard about the disruptions on Wednesday night, but it did not bother her as she went about her plans on Thursday morning. "I take public transport pretty often, and things have been okay, so far so good… I guess I'm lucky," she said. The 34-year-old, who took the train from Choa Chu Kang to Jurong East on Wednesday, said the ride was without issue. "I guess breakdowns are inevitable. The trains are always moving and I'd expect them to breakdown… it's just matter of time." Commuters on an East-West Line MRT train on at 6.50am on Oct 15, 2020. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH One commuter who was affected by the disruptions on Wednesday night said he had to take a private-hire car home after trains stopped running from Jurong East. He got to the station at about 8pm. "I ended up taking a Grab car home to Sembawang, but it's not an issue. There's no need to get angry, it won't change anything," said Mr Alan Tan, 33, who works in the food distribution industry. When ST reached Serangoon MRT station at 7.30am on Thursday, crowds were seen streaming in at both the North East Line (NEL) and Circle Line exit points. A commuter, who wanted to be known only as Ms So, 24, said she felt as though the station was more packed on Thursday morning - following Wednesday's breakdown. She usually takes the NEL from her home to Serangoon, where she changes trains to get to Botanic Gardens, which is en route to her workplace. "I left at the same time, because I thought that everything would have been fixed by now, and I didn't think I'd be so unlucky twice," she said, half in jest. "There was a brief moment when the train suddenly stopped on the purple line (NEL), causing slight panic, but thankfully it was nothing," said Ms So, who works in operations. More on this topic   Related Story 3 MRT lines hit by power fault: Other major train breakdowns in Singapore Her commute home the night before had been met with a disruption at Bishan station at around 7.30pm, when the train she was on stopped at the station. Fearing the worst, Ms So decided to search for alternative routes to get home, and managed to get a bus from Bishan to Woodleigh, which connected her to the NEL. Though the disruptions delayed her travel time by an hour, she was thankful that the delays she experienced were not as bad, compared to the ones on the East-West Line, which allowed her to get home at a reasonable time.

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