Cart (0)

Singapore riding

Riding in Singapore rain: prepare, adapt or postpone?

It rains an average of 171 days a year here. The decision is not whether you can ride in it, but what to change when it starts, and when to wait it out.

Riding in rain: prepare, adapt or postpone Three boxes joined by arrows, from left to right: prepare, with tyres, brakes, lights and a raincoat; adapt, with twice the stop distance; postpone, with warnings and flood alerts. PREPARE Tyres, brakes, lights, raincoat ADAPT Twice the stop distance POSTPONE Warnings + flood alerts
Check the route before leaving, even when the bike is ready.
Riding in Singapore rain: prepare, adapt or postpone?
Water droplets on a motorcycle windscreen and fairing.

The numbers behind the decision

  • Rain pattern: It rains an average of 171 days a year here. Check tyre tread and a working headlight before leaving.
  • Wet-road change: during the first 20-30 minutes of rain, allow twice the normal stopping distance. Avoid sharp turns and hard braking.
  • Warning lead time: heavy rain warnings typically have 15 to 30 minutes of lead time. Check the nowcast and flood alerts.
  • Aquaplaning: ease off the throttle and keep the bike upright until the steering feels normal again. Slow down before standing water, because hard braking locks a wheel.

Motorcycles are 15% of Singapore's vehicles but 54.8% of traffic accidents and 53% of fatalities. Rain cuts your margin for error further. You need more room, and a harder look at whether to ride at all.

  • Before you leave: Check the 2-hour nowcast, inspect your tyre tread (minimum 1.6mm), and verify your headlight works.
  • On wet roads: Double your following distance, avoid sudden braking during the slick first 20–30 minutes of rain, and ease off the throttle if you aquaplane.
  • In heavy storms: Never ride through floodwater especially if it reaches kerb height, and pull over safely if visibility drops.

Prepare before you ride

Rain in Singapore follows seasonal and daily patterns, from predawn Sumatra squalls to afternoon monsoon downpours. Knowing the season tells you what to pack, not whether your route is clear. Always check the live radar before gearing up.

Singapore rain pattern by month and time of day From top to bottom: month boxes mark November, December and January as higher rainfall during the wet phase of the Northeast Monsoon; February is driest. Horizontal bars show selected lightest and heaviest months for mean thunderstorm days at Changi Climate Station, 1991-2020: February 5, April 20, May 19 and November 19. Below, predawn to midday is paired with Sumatra squalls from June to September. Afternoons are marked as having more frequent rain, with heating and sea breezes bringing afternoon and evening storms. WHEN IT RAINS HERE HIGHER RAINFALL NOVDECJAN Wet phase of the Northeast Monsoon. February is the driest month. LIGHTEST / HEAVIEST MONTHS, NEA Mean thunderstorm days per month 1991-2020, Changi Climate Station Feb5 Apr20 May19 Nov19 FIND YOUR RIDE Predawn to midday Sumatra squalls, June to September. Afternoons: rain is more frequent Heating and sea breezes bring storms in the afternoon and evening.
Match the pattern to your journey, then check today's weather before you leave.

Check the bike before you leave

Check your tyres and brakes before heading out. Below 1.6mm of tread, a tyre clears water poorly and wet grip drops. Check the tread before the wet season and fit a new tyre at that limit.

Keep your headlight on day and night so drivers can see you through heavy spray. Do not ride if your headlight is blown.

Adapt when the road turns wet

Slow down and double your following distance. If your steering suddenly feels extremely light, you are aquaplaning. Ease off the throttle smoothly and keep the bike upright until traction returns. Do not brake hard: the Booklet's para. 29 says decelerate without braking, and para. 185 uses on-and-off braking to regain traction.

Wet-road stopping distance and aquaplaning instructions From top to bottom: the first 20-30 minutes are marked as slickest because grease, oil, mud or dirt mixes with water. Slow down and allow more space. A normal stopping-distance bar sits above a rain bar twice as long. Avoid sharp turns and hard braking; braking too hard locks the wheels. An arrow leads to extremely light steering and two Booklet instructions for the same aquaplaning moment. Paragraph 29: slow down gently by decelerating, DO NOT BRAKE, and continue until steering feels normal. Paragraph 185: reduce speed by intermittent braking, ON and OFF, to regain traction. Both instructions are the Booklet's. Below both: keep inputs gentle and progressive; even good tyres cannot prevent aquaplaning. THE FIRST MINUTE IT TURNS FIRST 20-30 MINUTES: SLICKEST Grease, oil, mud or dirt mix with water. SLOW DOWN. ALLOW MORE SPACE. Normal stopping distance In rain: twice the normal distance No sharp turns. No hard braking. Braking too hard locks the wheels. STEERING FEELS EXTREMELY LIGHT The Booklet gives two instructions for the same aquaplaning moment. PARAGRAPH 29 Slow down gently by decelerating. DO NOT BRAKE. Continue until steering feels normal. PARAGRAPH 185 Reduce speed by intermittent braking (ON & OFF) to regain traction. Both instructions are the Booklet's. Keep inputs gentle and progressive. Even good tyres cannot prevent aquaplaning.
Slow down early. Hard braking locks a wheel.

If the motorcycle skids, steer in the direction of the skid and straighten up only when traction returns. In strong crosswinds, slow down, shift to a lower gear, and grip the handlebars firmly with both hands.

Postpone when water or visibility stops the ride

Decide before you leave, then check again on the road. PUB says sudden rainfall can overwhelm drains and cause flash floods.

Weather checks, floodwater and poor-visibility decisions From top to bottom: before leaving, check the heavy rain warning, typically with 15 to 30 minutes of lead time, the area-specific 2-hour nowcast, rain area map and PUB flood alerts. A box says to decide whether departure can wait and to check the route before setting off. An arrow leads to PUB's instruction to avoid flooded roads with water above kerb height. A cross-section shows the water line above the road surface and a raised kerb; an arrow leads to turn around or take another route. For very poor visibility, the Booklet says stop by the side of the road and turn on hazard lights if fitted. The final lines say there is no fixed wait time and to check the conditions again before deciding. THE DECISION TO WAIT BEFORE YOU LEAVE Heavy rain warning: typically 15 to 30 minutes of lead time 2-hour nowcast: check your area. Rain area map: check the rain. PUB alerts: check for flooding. Decide whether to wait Check the route before setting off. ON THE ROAD: FLOODWATER PUB: AVOID FLOODED ROADS ABOVE KERB HEIGHT CROSS-SECTION: WATER ABOVE KERB WATER LINE water above the raised kerb ROAD SURFACE RAISED KERB TURN AROUND TAKE ANOTHER ROUTE VISIBILITY VERY POOR Booklet: when visibility is very poor, stop by the side of the road. Turn hazard lights on, if fitted. There is no fixed wait time. Check the conditions again before you decide.
The Booklet lets you avoid floods if you can. PUB's water above kerb height warning is a reason to stop, not a promise that shallower water is safe.

Never ride into floodwater. While PUB warns that water above kerb height is hazardous, even shallower floodwater can hide open drains or stall your engine. If the road ahead is flooded, turn around and take another route.

Keep the weather checks within reach

If you need a raincoat

Riding wet and cold quickly drains your concentration. If you need waterproof gear, check out these options:

Feel Free to drop by the shop to see what is in stock today, and check the fit over your riding jacket.

Make the departure decision

  1. Is the bike ready? Confirm the tread and headlight checks before leaving.
  2. What do your route checks show? Read the nowcast and flood alerts before choosing to leave.
  3. Can you still see clearly? If spray or fog cuts your view, pull over safely and wait for the rain to ease.

Official sources

Sources checked 15 Oct 2026. LionHead Moto drew the diagrams from NEA, MSS, PUB and the Traffic Police Riding Theory Booklet. Monthly storm means were read as table text; the tread figure is attributed to the Booklet because the underlying rule text was not read.

Check the route before leaving

Check the weather and flood alerts before deciding to leave. Which part of your ride makes you choose to wait?

Return to Rider Hub Tell us what makes you wait