C14
SINGAPORE
"
dinance (Chapter 149) now controls all the wharves and commercial drydocks in Singapore, their premises being about a mile to the westward of the town. There are 12,134 lineal feet of wharves, including the Empire Dock (24 acres) with a further 1,891 feet in course of construction. There is a depth of 25 to 33 feet of water alongside at L.W.O.S.T. There is storage capacity for about 260,000 tons of cargo and some 150,000 tons of coal, the stocks being chiefly Natal, Welsh, Indian and Japanese although a variety of coal supplies from local sources such as Borneo, Sumatra and Sarawak are generally available. A mechanical coal handling plant is now being erected at a berth on the new wharf extensions for the discharge of colliers and mechanical bunkering plants are in course of construction. The Board owns steam tugs with complete fire and salvage plant, sheer legs with lifting capacity to 60 tons, cranes, 14 miles of railway connected with the Federated Malay States Railways system, launches, lighters and other appliances for the expeditious handling of cargo. There are installations for bunkering fuel oil and Diesel oil and for the bulk loading of latex and palm oil into ships. at the wharves. The Board operates five drydocks one of which (The King's Dock) is divided by an intermediate caisson into two docks of 486 and 325 feet each, its equipment including a 30-ton electric travelling crane.
The machine shops are capable of effecting ship and machinery repairs to vessels of the largest class. Castings and forgings of the largest size can be made on the Board's premises. The power of electric motors driving the machiner used by the Board exceeds 5,000 horse-power. The Crown Agents for the Colonies. London, act as the Board's agents in England.
I
uniform
The characteristic features of the climate of Singapore are temperature, high humidity and copious rainfall. The variation of tem- perature throughout the year is very small and the excessively high tempera- tures found in continental tropical areas are never experienced.
The average annual rainfall is 95 inches. December is the wettest month with a little over 10 inches while February, May, June, July and September are the drier months with between 6 and 7 inches. Rainfalls on the average on half the days in the year.
.
Ordinarily, temperatures range from 75°F in the early morning to 86°– 88°F during the heat of the day. Temperatures below 70°F are rare and above 90° comparatively infrequent.
Severe storms are experienced in Singapore known as "Sumatras"; these are violent squalls which
squalls which occur usually during the night or in the early morning approaching from W or SW; they are usually accompanied by thunder and lightning and torrential rain. Local thunderstorms occur frequently at midday or during the afternoon and though accompanied by very heavy rain do not usually last for more than an hour.
The SW monsoon does not affect Singapore. Land and
Land and sea breezes are prominent although from November to March, the winds are predominantly Northerly or Northeasterly and from June to August predominantly South or Southeasterly.
Although the days are hot and on account of the high humidity somewhat oppressive, the nights are almost always reasonably cool, and it rarely hap- pens that refreshing sleep is not obtained. The effect of the heat and humidity, without seasonal change, is however cumulative, and after a few years a change to a bracing climate becomes imperative for Europeans if health is to be maintained.