It's Hot, Y'all! Urban Heat Island mapping in Raleigh

In urban settings, hot days can be amplified by the lack of tree canopy cover and the increase in dark surfaces with a low albedo, such as roads and buildings. This is known as the urban heat island effect. Vulnerable communities are at greater risk for heat-related illness during times of intense and/or prolonged heat.

Hot days create physical stress for people and can be hazardous to the elderly, the young, people with pre-existing medical conditions, and those working outdoors. Some areas are also experiencing increases in nighttime minimum temperatures, which can be particularly hazardous for people without adequate cooling in their homes.

In an effort to better understand where urban heat islands occur in the cities of Raleigh and Durham, scientists and community volunteers hit the streets with handheld, bike-mounted, and car-mounted sensors. Over three time periods throughout the day (6-7am, 3-4pm, and 7-8pm), volunteers collected real-time data including ambient air temperature and humidity. The data were used to develop high-resolution temperature and heat index maps of Raleigh and Durham, indicating the hottest/coolest parts of the cities and the extent of the temperature differences between them.

By understanding where the most extreme temperatures occur, ongoing heat mitigation efforts by nonprofits, urban planners, public health officials, and urban foresters will be able to provide resources to areas of the community that are most vulnerable to the impacts of extreme heat.