Trees fall on vehicles amid heavy rain on Sunday afternoon
Photos and videos on WhatsApp showed trees and branches falling on roads and vehicles amid heavy rain on Sunday (Feb 20) afternoon. (Images: Tie Lok Tiing, CNA Reader)
SINGAPORE: Heavy rain fell across parts of Singapore on Sunday (Feb 20) afternoon, with photos and videos circulating on WhatsApp showing vehicles damaged by falling trees and branches.
National water agency PUB issued warnings of flood and heavy rain on several occasions, one of which was a flash flood warning for Upper Paya Lebar Road at 4.35pm.
"Due to heavy rain, water levels in drains have reached 90 per cent in these areas ... Please avoid the above areas for the next one hour," said PUB in a Facebook post.
The Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) warned on Twitter of "thundery showers over many areas" in the afternoon.
Photos and videos on WhatsApp showed trees and branches falling on vehicles amid the rain on Sunday.
One video showed that a tree had fallen on an SMRT bus in Sungei Gedong. In another, parts of a tree blocked off a road in the area.
SMRT said that a tree branch fell on one of its service 975 revenue buses at about 4.25pm.
There were no commuters on the bus, which was stationary when the incident happened. No injuries were reported.
“Buses were temporarily diverted along Lorong Rusuk towards Lim Chu Kang Road. Regular service resumed from 10pm,” said Mr Lee Yong Heng, director of Bus Operations at SMRT Buses.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it received a call for assistance at about 4.55pm.
"SCDF's assistance was not required," it added.
NParks was "alerted to a snapped trunk of an Angsana tree" along Lim Chu Kang Road at 7.10pm.
"The trunk had a diameter of about 16cm or a girth of 0.5m, and the obstruction was cleared by 9.15pm," said NParks' group director of streetscape Oh Cheow Sheng.
In another incident, a tree fell on a white car in Punggol, smashing the windscreen. SCDF officers were seen removing debris from the car.
SCDF said it received a call for assistance at the carpark driveway near Block 289C Punggol Place at about 3.15pm on Sunday.
"Upon SCDF's arrival, a person was found trapped in the driver's seat of a car," it said.
"SCDF rescued the person using cutting equipment. There were no reported injuries."
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