(July 24): Singapore has launched an initiative to inform residents of heat stress levels and offer guidelines as rising temperatures heighten health risks.

The plan includes advisories on three levels of risk to heat stress — low, moderate and high — based on a measure that factors in air temperature, humidity, wind speed and solar radiation. The readings will be derived from nine sensors across Singapore, with the network to be expanded over the next two years.

“With climate change, many countries in the world, including Singapore, are seeing rising temperatures,” the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment and the National Environment Agency said in a release. “It is therefore important for members of the public to adapt.”

Global temperatures hit records this month, with countries from Italy to China experiencing scorching heat, as an emerging El Niño weather pattern helped push the mercury higher.

Singapore — located close to the equator with average monthly maximum temperatures of 31-32°C — recorded its hottest day in four decades in May with a reading of 37°C. The government has warned of worsening air quality, and said the upcoming haze season may be the hottest and driest since September 2019.

Singapore’s heat advisories will help create awareness of the dangers that come with extreme temperatures, said Jason Lee, a member of the health ministry panel that was consulted in the development of the new system.

In addition to health risks including heat exhaustion and heat stroke, hotter weather can “reduce work productivity and compromise decision-making”, said Lee, who is also director of the Heat Resilience and Performance Centre at the National University of Singapore.

With Singapore’s advisory system, residents will be able to check heat stress levels from the sensor closest to them from the nation’s weather information website or the myENV mobile app. The guidelines provide tips on what residents can do to adjust their plans for outdoor activities, and appropriate attire to wear depending on heat stress levels.