As temperatures keep rising amid climate change, the authorities here on Monday (July 24) launched a "heat stress advisory", so that members of the public can make informed decisions on undertaking prolonged outdoor activities.

The advisory, using three levels — low, moderate and high — aims to minimise the risk of heat stress and heat-related illnesses, the National Environment Agency (NEA) and the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) said. It takes account of factors such as humidity and wind speed, as well as temperature.

In response to TODAY's queries, the authorities confirmed that it is the first such advisory issued in Singapore and was launched in light of rising temperatures and the expectation that they will keep increasing.

Professor Benjamin Horton, director of the Earth Observatory of Singapore at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), said he believed that the advisory would have been planned for some time but had probably been "fast tracked" given the rise in temperatures here and around the globe.

"Heat is a rapidly growing health risk, due to burgeoning urbanisation in Singapore, an increase in high temperature extremes as was seen in May and the ageing populations we have in Singapore," he said in response to TODAY's queries.

In a joint media statement launching the advisory, NEA and MSE noted that many countries, including Singapore, are experiencing rising temperatures.

The last 10 years from 2013 to 2022 was Singapore's warmest decade on record, they added.

On May 13, this year, the temperature soared to 37°C in Ang Mo Kio, equalling the previous record set on April 17, 1983.

At the launch event, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said: “As the world braces for global warming and more extreme weather events, it is important that we equip Singaporeans with more information to help manage the risks, particularly in the area of heat stresses.”

The new advisory's three categories of low, moderate and high, depicted by green, orange and red, are based on the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT).

WBGT, a global standard, takes into account various environmental factors such as air temperature, humidity, wind speed and solar radiation to provide a more accurate measurement of heat stress conditions.

When planning to undertake outdoor activities, members of the public can consult the myENV app or the weather information website to check the prevailing heat stress levels.

The app displays WBGT measurements from the nearest sensor to the user's location, allowing them to make informed decisions regarding their activities.

The heat stress advisory offers tips to adapt to different heat stress levels, ensuring individuals take appropriate protective measures.

For instance, “low heat stress” is defined as a WBGT of under 31°C . In low heat stress, the public is advised to continue normal activities.

"Moderate heat stress" is defined as a WBGT of 31°C to below 33°C. In these conditions, people should reduce outdoor activities, drink more fluids, take regular breaks, watch for bodily signs of heat-related illness and use an umbrella or a hat.

In “high heat stress”, defined as a WBGT of 33°C and above, people are advised to minimise outdoor activities and actively cool down by sponging and pouring water over arms and legs, among other steps.

While the advisory provides general guidance, individuals must consider their specific circumstances, such as their health and age, and duration and intensity of outdoor activities, the press release said.

Vulnerable groups, including the elderly, children, people with chronic conditions, pregnant women and those who recently travelled from cooler climates, should exercise greater caution.

Some members of the public joined for the launch of the heat stress advisory, including Mr James Cher, a 67-year-old retiree.

He identifies himself as an “outdoor person” and takes an average of 16,000 steps a day, runs twice a week and plays golf twice a week.

Given his outdoor lifestyle, extreme heat is a growing concern for him.

“I would feel lethargic and tired because of the humidity and the heat during outdoor physical activities,” he told TODAY.

Mr Cher said that the new feature on the myENV application showing heat stress levels will be useful for planning his daily activities outdoors.

However, he raised concerns that the information may not be sufficiently accessible to the elderly, who may not use smartphone applications regularly.

“A lot of elderly people, unlike me, don’t do anything online,” he said, suggesting that heat advisory information must be made more widely available on other platforms, such as television news.

Prof Horton of NTU expressed similar concerns about public awareness.

"The advisory will only be useful if it coincides with education, communication and investment in research," he said.

"The heat advisory is correctly based around wet bulb temperatures that take into account both heat and humidity. But do the public know what this is, do we regularly report wet bulb temperatures in the media?"

Prof Horton pointed out that globally, hundreds of thousands of people die from preventable heat-related causes each year.

"We do not want this happening here," he said.

"Global temperatures have been at unprecedented levels for several weeks.

"The extensive and intense heatwaves this year are alarming, but not surprising because unfortunately the conditions being observed are in accordance with projections made by climate scientists such as myself."

Source:
courtesy of TODAY

by AHN YEHOON

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