Should we all escape to the country during a heatwave?

A new way of mapping temperatures in a city will allow local authorities to consider areas with the most vulnerable people in future heatwave plans. A University of Birmingham research project has highlighted the potential health impacts of heatwaves in urbanised areas. By modelling the 2003 heatwave the researchers were able to identify areas where city centres were up to 7°C hotter than the surrounding countryside in the West Midlands. Heatwaves pose an increased health risk to vulnerable populations, such as the elderly or those suffering from cardiovascular diseases. The August 2003 heatwave saw many European countries experience their highest temperatures on record and contributed to an estimated 2,000 deaths in England. The study, published in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, details how a novel, dynamic way of mapping temperature across urban areas can help researchers to better understand how local authorities can plan to cope with the effects of a sudden rise in temperature. Taking data from 1 kilometre squared areas across Birmingham and the West Midlands, the researchers were able to stimulate high-resolution temperatures during the 2003 heatwave.