Nighttime Heat and Health: New Study Reveals Hidden Risks in Singapore
CCEH Health Sustainability Cluster uncovers the growing impact of nocturnal warming on emergency hospital admissions
The Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Health (CCEH) at NTU is pleased to share a newly published nationwide study by its Health Sustainability Cluster team by Asst. Prof. Lim Jue Tao, Prof. John Abisheganaden, and Prof. Steve Yim, in collaboration with Tan Tock Seng Hospital, National University of Singapore, and the Ministry of Health. Published in BMC Emergency Medicine, the study reveals how rising nighttime temperatures are contributing to increased emergency department (ED) admissions in Singapore.
The research shows that nighttime temperatures above ~25.1°C are significantly associated with higher ED visits across multiple conditions, including cardiovascular, infectious, and endocrine diseases.
Unlike daytime heat, nocturnal warming disrupts sleep and limits the body’s recovery, leading to delayed health effects—sometimes appearing weeks later. Projections also indicate a sharp rise in disease burden under high-emission scenarios, highlighting the scale of the emerging risk.
These findings underscore the need for urban cooling strategies, climate-resilient housing, and early-warning systems to better protect public health in a warming climate.
🔗 Read the full study here: BMC Emerg Med (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12873-026-01552-5
