Wind monitoring at Bedok Reservoir

[Vortices]

Australia is not fully in Summer and China is not in winter yet. So where does the wind come from then?

This question sound like a refresher course question in Met.
Just got up and finish breakfast, a little sleepy still but will give it a short, Please forgive me if it is less accurate than the truth, getting old, grey matter turning white...all the wikipedia and internet fan, well, do check also.

As far as I rememeber, the trade winds (NE and SE) monsoon is separated by ITCZ (intertropical convergence zone) This boundary, if you will, will move north and south following summer. If you are north of the zone you get NE trade winds, if you are south of it you will experience SE.

In our region, The ITCZ moves as far north as Beijing in northern summer and as far south as Darwin during southern summer. Singapore being near equator, the ITCZ passes thru Singapore a few times every year. You know the ITCZ is passing thru when we have prolong showers, with very little wind for a few days, then as suddenly as it come, it stops and the sun shines again, this is typical of ITCZ passing thru. The ITCZ can be over 200 miles wide in the tropical region as such it can take a few days for it to pass. Also due to geographical topography of SEA, we dont get SE but SW monsoon.

Therefore, you do not need full northern winter to experience NE trade winds, just cold enough for the ITCZ to move sounth of Singapore, then the NE will prevail. However the wind will be strongest during the peak of winter/summer. These wind are very strong and very reliable, hence the TRADE winds, traders have used these wind for centuries for trading.

We have obvoiusly past the start of spring/autumn where ITCZ is around singapore moving south, so we should be in the NE trade wind.

This pass few 2 weeks, we had really heavy storms and long period of continuous rain, followed by sunlight and rain again, that could have been the ITCZ passing thru. This few days, wind is still and hazy, this may mark the end of passing of ITCZ. Ever so slowly NE monsoon is creeping in. Runway O2 in changi is in use again this morning as I type.

So there you have it. 10 year old residue info from the college days. Please go easy if the info is less than 100%, I am a little bored and since Joe ask the question (may have been rhetorical) I thought I will share what I know. Hope it is useful to some, at least.

cheers.

[tampines flyer]

teory very chim hehehe for me simple put the sail boat in water n sail lol

[Ghostfit]

Chey !!! ...and I thought it was just the typhoons sweeping pass the Phillipines !

[joe yap]

This means that now is the best time to hold your patience and dust of your gliders, but don't head down to the slope just yet. The winds are just starting to established and still varies widely in speeds and directions, the best time to de-kit your glider.

Anyway, more rain will come in the next few months before the weather dries up and the USEFUL monsoon wind kicks in.

[Vortices]

Gentlemen, USEFUL wind today, for last 40 minutes, overcast but no signs of rain clouds

Wind 360/5 gusting 8 kts,

Light glider can go already.

[Vortices]

Wind is still blowing...010/5 gusting 7

I am heading down later.

[joe yap]

Keep us posted on the conditions on actual ground. Met service shos heavy downpour at 4.00pm and wind changes to 030.

[randomtask]

Wind was shiok today, not too strong, but the direction was spot on at around 3.30pm.

Went down with the only glider which i have the batts constantly charged, the Predator 2 DLG. Yes it's cheating as it's not really a slope plane, but light launches was sufficient to get the plane in the air. Then I decided to have some fun and DL the bugger. Got good altitude really quick and was joining the big birds in the thermals in no time. The wind keep blowing the thermal over the trees and I followed them for as long as i dared.

Overall shiok. I'll be checking the key in my window again tomorrow.

Cheers,
Adnan

[Mazon]

looks like adnan got the first flight of the season! woot.

cycling my batts now. tmr looks possible as well, but as usual at the start, there is a high chance of rain.

[joe yap]

Good for you guys. This one could be the pre-monsoon short window that I got years back when I maidened my first Pilatus B-4. The useful winds were blowing for a week or 2 in early November before it suddenly died as the rainy season arrives. After the rain passed in late December that year, the winds came back for the peak season.

[msc]

Wind was shiok today, not too strong, but the direction was spot on at around 3.30pm.

Went down with the only glider which i have the batts constantly charged, the Predator 2 DLG. Yes it's cheating as it's not really a slope plane, but light launches was sufficient to get the plane in the air. Then I decided to have some fun and DL the bugger. Got good altitude really quick and was joining the big birds in the thermals in no time. The wind keep blowing the thermal over the trees and I followed them for as long as i dared.

Overall shiok. I'll be checking the key in my window again tomorrow.

Cheers,
Adnan

How I admire you being the first person to slope this season. With your P2, that's not cheating at all! The glider is non-powered.
I need to speed up with my assembly of my 1.2m, 2.0m and 2.6m glider

[Vortices]

Hello, Adnan beat me to it.

I was there at 530pm just after Adnan left, wind was from slightly left to straight on then veer slightly left again. about 6 gusting 9kts. Did 5 flights, landing was due to trimming of aircraft cg. Good flying condition. Flew my ASK 21 2.4m.

I have noticed something different though, the trees near the water line at the bottom of slope have really grown, in light constant condition, just soar above those tree, it has lift just above it. The main lift now is to the right of the new pontoon-further. Once high enough, the normal tree line lift is still there. Today it was overcast, by the time I was there there were no thermal already.

When I left at 630pm, the wind was strong and directly on the slope but got to go to fetch my daughter to tuition.

Will go tomorrow also, will report condition.
cheers
Yahoo!!!!! season is here...

[vipermako]

Hello, Adnan beat me to it.

someone else has beaten him to it

i was there having my lunch at 12pm, sitting at one the bench at the top of the slope. Wind was good. Suddenly 2 eagles appeared in front of me, soaring, left to right and to left again, so near to the slope, continuing for about 5min. Can see that their wings are huge, at least 2m. Man, what a beautiful sight! never see them so close. So graceful and majestic.

[randomtask]

Hehe the eagles were there too when i was flying. They're the best cos the sniff out the best thermals. Follow where they go cos they only ride the best.

Cheers,
Adnan

[tampines flyer]

well wind cond direction look gd but lite wind in mor look like tis the season hehehewait 2 secs to reload the image