Understanding the nuances of urban weather, and in particular the heat island effect, which makes built-up areas hotter than their surroundings, requires detailed local information. But some areas lack local weather stations, so Brookhaven National Laboratory in the US is sending mobile weather vans to trailer parks in Arizona to measure the microclimate conditions precisely.
Communities of these manufactured homes are typically low-income, and poor insulation and other issues make their inhabitants especially susceptible to the health effects of heat. Last year there were 987 heat-related deaths in Arizona, a record high. But as there are less likely to be local weather stations in poorer neighbourhoods, there may be “data deserts” in the areas most at risk.
Hence the weather vans, part of a $25m project funded by the US Department of Energy, known as the Southwest Urban Corridor Integrated Field Laboratory. They are equipped to measure ground and air temperature, wind speed and direction, cloud cover, pollution levels and even the speed and intensity of rainfall.
The weather researchers are working in partnership with social scientists in an effort to fill in the data deserts and build a fuller picture of how heat may affect the most vulnerable communities. Their data will also help evaluate possible ways to mitigate the effects of hot weather.
