SINGAPORE - Cooling spaces will be open to the public to seek respite from the heat when a heatwave is forecast, 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.
Most community centres will serve as cooling spaces, and some Residents’ Networks, especially those near one- and two-room HDB blocks, will be prepared to offer such spaces.
Some indoor sports halls with air-conditioning will also provide respite during the heat.
These cooling stations are part of a suite of heat response measures that were revealed to the media on March 19, formulated by a group – called the Mercury Taskforce – comprising more than 30 government agencies and ministries. They include the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Social and Family Development.
The task force was set up in 2023 to develop and coordinate responses across the agencies.
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 15 minutes to rest under shade every hour.
To measure heat stress, Singapore uses the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) – which accounts for not just air temperature, but also humidity, wind speed and solar radiation.
Periods of high heat stress are indicated by WBGT levels of 33 deg C or higher, and people are advised to minimise outdoor activities under such conditions.
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.
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 task force.
The advisory 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 during this period.
For vulnerable groups, more precautions are to be taken.
For example, pre-schools are not to conduct outdoor activities between 11am and 4pm – usually a period 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, The Straits Times reported in June 2024.
The task force also revealed some measures those at home can take to cool down when the mercury rises.
For instance, besides taking cool showers and soaking their feet in cool water, they can spray themselves with cold water mist or cover 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, the Republic’s highest temperature of 37 deg C was recorded on May 13, 2023, in Ang Mo Kio.
In 2024 – which is Singapore’s hottest year on record, tying with 2019 and 2016 – the country 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.
In 2025, however, the task force 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 to the Republic and the region.
All six heatwaves in the past had occurred at the tail end of an El Nino event. El Nino events bring drier and hotter weather to Singapore.
Periods of high heat stress can occur even without a heatwave.
Between 71 and 124 people in Singapore were admitted to hospital for heat-related illnesses each year from 2010 to 2020, according to a 2023 paper published in The Lancet.
To better measure heat stress, eight more WBGT stations, in locations like Jurong Island and Punggol Waterway, will be rolled out beyond stadiums by mid-2025.
Currently, there are nine such stations islandwide – with the majority of them in sports stadiums.
“While there are a few sector-specific advisories already in place, from outdoor workers to the sports fraternity, having a coordinated heatwave response should optimise our resources and ensure everyone is taken care of,” said Associate Professor Jason Lee, director of the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine’s Heat Resilience and Performance Centre.
There is also a need to find out how other at-risk groups, such as people with disabilities, are affected by heat, so that specific guidelines can be created for them as well, he said.
Professor Nick Watts, director of the NUS Centre for Sustainable Medicine, said: “One of the biggest health threats of extreme heat is the patient that we never get to treat. We worry the most about a sick patient who is unable to seek help.
“The second major threat is the risk of overwhelming the capacity of a health system.”
He said the heatwave response plan addresses both risks.
First, identifying vulnerable patients and providing cooling spaces in the heartland could make it easier for at-risk residents to seek help.
And minimising outdoor activities during the hotter hours serves as a preventive measure to reduce heat injuries.
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Thanks for sharing!