\n<\/p>\n
Lightning<\/strong><\/p>\n Singapore is one of the world’s most lightning-prone countries, and the phenomenon poses safety risks to airside workers, disrupts airport operations and delays flights and baggage handling, CAAS and NEA said.<\/p>\n Lightning risk notifications are currently issued based on a 6km safety radius around Changi Airport, however, this poses operational challenges, especially with the airport’s footprint set to nearly double with the completion of Terminal 5.<\/p>\n CAAS and NEA will therefore aim to minimise the effects of cloud-to-ground lightning by improving Singapore’s lightning forecast precision.\u00a0<\/p>\n They will seek to do so through means such as the creation of a more precise density map of lightning strikes at Changi Airport based on historical data; electromagnetic modelling of lightning interactions with aircraft, airport infrastructure and people; the use of algorithms to strengthen current predictions of lightning events and zone-based lightning risk assessment.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to the agencies, this will “enhance worker safety, reduce downtime and allow for a more targeted zone-based approach to managing lightning risk”.<\/p>\n Turbulence<\/strong><\/p>\n CAAS and NEA will strengthen predictions of in-flight turbulence as severe turbulence incidents increase globally, posing safety risks to flight passengers and crew.<\/p>\n They will also provide airlines with “more timely, reliable and actionable weather information”.<\/p>\n Convective weather<\/strong><\/p>\n The agencies will work towards improving convective weather forecasting “to support real-time decision-making and optimise airport operations”, amid an increase in weather-related flight diversions and delays.<\/p>\n Convective weather in the region refers to thunderstorms causing wind shear that can occur and dissipate abruptly, making them difficult to predict.<\/p>\n Between January and November 2025, 55 flights were diverted from Changi Airport because of bad weather, a sharp rise from the nine flight diversions in the same period a year ago, the agencies said.<\/p>\n Surface winds\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n CAAS and NEA will also strengthen the accuracy and timeliness of surface wind forecasts to better plan for runway changes and optimise runway use.<\/p>\n Rapidly shifting winds can result in multiple runway changes, reducing runway capacity and posing challenges to air traffic controllers and pilots, the agencies said.<\/p>\n Contrails<\/strong><\/p>\n The agencies said that they will improve scientific knowledge on contrails, notably in the Asia-Pacific region, where atmospheric conditions are different from those in Europe and North America, and data is limited.<\/p>\n This will “inform future mitigation strategies and contribute to global policy development” amid “growing global attention on condensation trails and their effects on global warming”, they said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n