Islandwide cooling spaces part of Singapore's heatwave response plan

Gearing up for future heatwaves A new inter-agency task force has released a suite of measures that will kick in during a heatwave in Singapore. Shabana Begum outlines the new plan.

- Chin Hui Shan and Shabana Begum

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.

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.