Lightning
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.
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.
CAAS and NEA will therefore aim to minimise the effects of cloud-to-ground lightning by improving Singapore's lightning forecast precision.
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.
According to the agencies, this will "enhance worker safety, reduce downtime and allow for a more targeted zone-based approach to managing lightning risk".
Turbulence
CAAS and NEA will strengthen predictions of in-flight turbulence as severe turbulence incidents increase globally, posing safety risks to flight passengers and crew.
They will also provide airlines with "more timely, reliable and actionable weather information".
Convective weather
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.
Convective weather in the region refers to thunderstorms causing wind shear that can occur and dissipate abruptly, making them difficult to predict.
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.
Surface winds
CAAS and NEA will also strengthen the accuracy and timeliness of surface wind forecasts to better plan for runway changes and optimise runway use.
Rapidly shifting winds can result in multiple runway changes, reducing runway capacity and posing challenges to air traffic controllers and pilots, the agencies said.
Contrails
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.
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.
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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.
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.
CAAS and NEA will therefore aim to minimise the effects of cloud-to-ground lightning by improving Singapore's lightning forecast precision.
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.
According to the agencies, this will "enhance worker safety, reduce downtime and allow for a more targeted zone-based approach to managing lightning risk".
Turbulence
CAAS and NEA will strengthen predictions of in-flight turbulence as severe turbulence incidents increase globally, posing safety risks to flight passengers and crew.
They will also provide airlines with "more timely, reliable and actionable weather information".
Convective weather
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.
Convective weather in the region refers to thunderstorms causing wind shear that can occur and dissipate abruptly, making them difficult to predict.
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.
Surface winds
CAAS and NEA will also strengthen the accuracy and timeliness of surface wind forecasts to better plan for runway changes and optimise runway use.
Rapidly shifting winds can result in multiple runway changes, reducing runway capacity and posing challenges to air traffic controllers and pilots, the agencies said.
Contrails
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.
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.
Continue reading...