No escape from the heat even at home: Experts urge people to adjust their daily routines
Lianhe Zaobao, 连在家也难逃高温 专家呼吁调整作息
(Summarised translation)
As Singapore experiences increasingly frequent and intense heat, experts warn that rising temperatures are no longer just a weather issue but a growing challenge to public health, productivity and urban liveability.
Assistant Professor Samuel Chng, Research Assistant Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), said high temperatures affect people’s ability to carry out everyday activities, including working, travelling, resting and maintaining both physical and mental well-being.
He added that people experiencing heat stress are more likely to feel fatigued, irritable and distracted, reducing their concentration, work performance, emotional well-being and social interactions. Over time, avoiding outdoor activities because of the heat may also reduce opportunities for physical exercise and social engagement.
Assistant Prof Chng’s research also found that many residents experience excessive heat inside their homes, especially at night. Among the 416 HDB flats included in the study, nearly half recorded indoor temperatures that were even higher than outdoor temperatures. Homes with excessive clutter and windows that remained closed, restricting ventilation, experienced more severe overheating.
“If people still cannot escape the heat after returning home, the stress accumulated throughout the day only becomes worse,” he said.
Assistant Prof Chng believes Singapore now regards heat as a liveability challenge rather than simply a weather issue. He noted that the Government has invested in urban greening, sheltered walkways and other climate adaptation infrastructure, while also studying the impact of climate change on daily life.
This year, the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment established the Heat Resilience Policy Office to coordinate Singapore’s national heat management efforts and designated 2026 as the “Year of Climate Adaptation”.
According to Assistant Prof Chng, the next phase of adaptation is to ensure these investments improve not only thermal comfort but also people’s physical and mental well-being.
“A heat-resilient city is not simply a cooler city,” he said. “It is one where people can continue to live well, work productively, travel comfortably and participate fully in community life, even as the climate continues to warm.”