‘Better weathering’ together: Enabling everyday life in a hotter Singapore
Singapore does not need 40 deg C days for heat to start altering society.
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Singapore does not need repeated 40 deg C days before rising temperatures begin altering how society functions, says the writer.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
Petra Tschakert
This summer’s heatwaves across East Asia have shown how quickly extreme heat can rearrange everyday life. In South Korea, Yangsan reached 42.5 deg C in August, the highest temperature recorded in 122 years. Cooling shelters were expanded, water distributed, and baseball games cancelled as the authorities moved into emergency-response mode.
Singapore does not need repeated 40 deg C days before rising temperatures begin altering how society functions. Urban heat already disrupts outdoor activity, sleep, work, commuting, and social life. Retreating into air-conditioned homes, offices, malls and public transport is understandable and often necessary. But what happens if staying safe means increasingly withdrawing from outdoor and communal life?