SINGAPORE - Cooling spaces will be open to the public to seek respite from the soaring temperatures when a heatwave is forecasted, as part of a national plan to help Singaporeans tackle rising temperatures.
These spaces - some of which will be air-conditioned - will be set up islandwide. These stations could be at community centres, residents’ committees and indoor sports halls with air-conditioning. Details of how many of them there will be are not yet available.
These cooling stations are part of a suite of heat response measures formulated by a new group comprising over 30 government agencies and ministries, called the Mercury Taskforce, that were revealed to the media on March 19. They include the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Social and Family Development.
There are already existing measures in place to protect vulnerable groups, such as construction workers, from heat-related illnesses, during periods of high heat stress, as defined by various parameters including air temperature and humidity.
For example, during periods of high heat stress, workers involved in heavy physical labour, such as shovelling and manual sawing, should be given at least 10 minutes to rest under shade every hour.
But the new plan sets out a national approach to how various sectors should respond when a heatwave is expected to hit. It also outlines additional measures that vulnerable groups should take to protect themselves from rising temperatures.
There is no universally accepted definition of a heatwave, but it is declared in Singapore when the highest daily temperature over three consecutive days is at least 35 deg C, with the mean temperature each day being at least 29 deg C.
Periods of high heat stress can occur even without a heatwave.
When the weather forecast by the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) indicates a high likelihood of a heatwave in Singapore, a joint media advisory warning of impending high temperatures will be issued, said the taskforce.
The advisory – which details additional heat response measures for specific sectors, such as for preschools and hospitals – will be in place until MSS forecasts that the high temperatures will subside.
When the heat response plan is activated, Singaporeans should minimise outdoor physical activities between 11am and 4pm due to higher heat stress levels in this period.
For vulnerable groups, more precautions are to be taken.
For example, preschools are not to conduct outdoor activities between 11am and 4pm – usually periods of high heat stress – as the children enrolled are younger.
All schools should also implement dress down attire and minimise outdoor activities during the same time period. Outdoor activities should also be modified or suspended according to the heat stress level.
Some schools around Singapore have already made efforts to reduce the impact of soaring temperatures on staff and students as classrooms in most primary and secondary schools are not equipped with air-conditioners.
For example, Beatty Secondary School had a second uniform for students comprising a polo tee made of a dri-fit material with moisture-wicking properties to help keep students cooler as the material is more breathable, ST reported in June 2024.
The taskforce also revealed some measures those at home can take to cool down when the mercury rises.
For instance, beside taking cool showers and soaking their feet with cool water, dwellers can cool down their body heat by spraying cold water mist or covering their head or shoulders with wet cool towels.
To create a cool space, residents should also set aside an area away from direct sunlight and with adequate air flow while avoiding using heat-emitting appliances in the cool space.
This whole-of-government heat response plan was released ahead of the hottest period of the year in Singapore, which usually falls between March and May.
For example, Singapore’s highest temperature of 37 deg C was recorded in May 13, 2023, in Ang Mo Kio.
In 2024 – which is Singapore’s hottest year on record, tying with 2019 and 2016 – Singapore experienced 21 days of high heat stress. Most of these days occurred in March, April and May.
Singapore has experienced six heatwave episodes historically, with the last one in 2016.
This year, however, the taskforce said a heatwave is unlikely to happen during the hotter months, as global climate drivers are not conducive for it.
For example, Singapore is currently experiencing La Nina conditions. Such conditions typically bring cooler and wetter weather in Singapore and the region.
All six heatwaves in the past had occurred in the tail end of an El Nino event. El Nino events bring drier and hotter weather to Singapore.
To measure heat stress, Singapore uses the wet bulb globe temperature (WGBT) – which accounts for not just air temperature, but also humidity, wind speed and solar radiation.
Under a heat stress advisory launched by Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) in 2023, periods of high heat stress are indicated by WGBT levels of 33 deg C or higher, and people are advised to minimise outdoor activities under such conditions.
To better measure heat stress, eight more WGBT stations, in locations like Jurong Island and Punggol Waterway, will be rolled out beyond stadiums by mid-2025. Currently, there are nine of such stations islandwide - with the majority of them in sports stadiums.
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