Extreme Heat

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Wave ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Geographic Location ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
The United States ◽  
Extreme Heat ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Extreme Heat Events ◽  
The World ◽  
Heat Events

Extreme heat events (EHEs) are periods of high temperatures and humidity that are considered to be unusual for a specific geographic location. For example, in 1995 an extended heat wave in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States was blamed for the deaths of 550 citizens. Most of the dead were elderly, poor individuals who may not have realized that heat could kill, or who had no means of mitigating the rising temperatures in their homes or any way to escape to a cooler environment. In 2003, Europe was subjected to an EHE that is estimated to have resulted in the deaths of 70,000, with 15,000 of those deaths in Paris, France. “Extreme heat” is a relative term. Individuals adapt to their local climate, so it is difficult to use an absolute number to describe the conditions meteorologists consider a relative change from past conditions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines extreme heat as “summertime temperatures that are substantially hotter and/or more humid than average for location at that time of year.” According to the Public Health Institute’s Center for Climate Change, the state of California defines extreme heat days as those days above the 98th percentile of maximum temperatures based on 1961–1990 data for a specific location. Crucial to understanding extreme heat events is the collection of data about temperature and humidity. The US Global Change Research Program provides heat wave data spanning 1961 to 2018. The site links to a variety of programs related to global climate modeling. The National Resources Defense Council is a nongovernmental organization that has excellent maps which show change over time in the frequency of extreme heat events that overlay the human impact of these events. The National Centers for Environmental Information provides graphic data of current weather conditions along with lists of significant climate anomalies. The site has links to weather records and tools. All of these sites rely on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for their data. There are equivalent agencies all over the world. The World Meteorological Organization, part of the United Nations, is also a valuable resource for data.

scholarly journals Recent Changes in U.S. Regional Heat Wave Characteristics in Observations and Reanalyses

2017 ◽  
Vol 56 (9) ◽  
pp. 2621-2636 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. T. Schoof ◽  
T. W. Ford ◽  
S. C. Pryor
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Heat Wave ◽  
Extreme Heat ◽  
Specific Humidity ◽  
Equivalent Temperature ◽  
Northern Plains ◽  
Wave Characteristics ◽  
Extreme Heat Events ◽  
Temperature And Humidity ◽  
Heat Events

AbstractHumidity is a key determinant of heat wave impacts, but studies investigating changes in extreme heat events have not differentiated between events characterized by high temperatures and those characterized by simultaneously elevated temperature and humidity. The authors present a framework, using air temperature (T) and equivalent temperature (TE; a measure combining temperature and specific humidity), to examine changes in local percentile-based extreme heat events characterized by high temperature (T only) and those with high temperature and humidity (T-and-TE events). Application to one observational dataset (PRISM), four reanalysis products (1981–2015), and seven U.S. regions reveals widespread changes in heat wave characteristics over the 35-yr period. Agreement among the datasets employed on several heat wave metrics suggests that many of the findings are robust. With the exception of the northern plains region, all regions experienced increases in both T-only and T-and-TE heat wave day (HWD) frequency in each of the reanalyses. In the northern plains, all datasets have negative trends in T-only HWD frequency and positive trends in T-and-TE HWD frequency. Trends in HWD frequency were generally accompanied by changes in the spatial footprint in heat wave conditions. Temperature has increased significantly during T-only HWDs in the western regions, while increases in TE during T-and-TE HWDs have occurred in the central United States and Northeast region. These findings suggest that equivalent temperature provides an alternative perspective on the evolution of regional heat wave climatology. Studies considering changes in regional heat wave impacts should carefully consider the role of atmospheric moisture.

scholarly journals Climate Change and the Impact of Extreme Temperatures on Aviation

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 94-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Coffel ◽  
R. Horton
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Airline Industry ◽  
The United States ◽  
Extreme Heat ◽  
Aviation Industry ◽  
Weight Restrictions ◽  
Weight Restriction ◽  
Extreme Heat Events ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Heat Events

Abstract Temperature and airport elevation significantly influence the maximum allowable takeoff weight of an aircraft by changing the surface air density and thus the lift produced at a given speed. For a given runway length, airport elevation, and aircraft type, there is a temperature threshold above which the airplane cannot take off at its maximum weight and thus must be weight restricted. The number of summer days necessitating weight restriction has increased since 1980 along with the observed increase in surface temperature. Climate change is projected to increase mean temperatures at all airports and to significantly increase the frequency and severity of extreme heat events at some. These changes will negatively affect aircraft performance, leading to increased weight restrictions, especially at airports with short runways and little room to expand. For a Boeing 737-800 aircraft, it was found that the number of weight-restriction days between May and September will increase by 50%–200% at four major airports in the United States by 2050–70 under the RCP8.5 emissions scenario. These performance reductions may have a negative economic effect on the airline industry. Increased weight restrictions have previously been identified as potential impacts of climate change, but this study is the first to quantify the effect of higher temperatures on commercial aviation. Planning for changes in extreme heat events will help the aviation industry to reduce its vulnerability to this aspect of climate change.

scholarly journals Development of a Submonthly Temperature Product to Monitor Near-Real-Time Climate Conditions and Assess Long-Term Heat Events in the United States

2019 ◽  
Vol 58 (12) ◽  
pp. 2653-2674 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jared Rennie ◽  
Jesse E. Bell ◽  
Kenneth E. Kunkel ◽  
Stephanie Herring ◽  
Heidi Cullen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Minimum Temperature ◽  
Regional Analysis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Extreme Heat ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Extreme Heat Events ◽  
Heat Event ◽  
Heat Events

AbstractLand surface air temperature products have been essential for monitoring the evolution of the climate system. Before a temperature dataset is included in such analyses, it is important that nonclimatic influences be removed or changed so that the dataset is considered to be homogenous. These inhomogeneities include changes in station location, instrumentation, and observing practices. Many homogenized products exist on the monthly time scale, but few daily and weekly products exist. Recently, a submonthly homogenized dataset has been developed using data and software from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. Homogeneous daily data are useful for identification and attribution of extreme heat events. Projections of increasing temperatures are expected to result in corresponding increases in the frequency, duration, and intensity of such events. It is also established that heat events can have significant public health impacts, including increases in mortality and morbidity. The method to identify extreme heat events using daily homogeneous temperature data is described and used to develop a climatology of heat event onset, length, and severity. This climatology encompasses nearly 3000 extreme maximum and minimum temperature events across the United States since 1901. A sizeable number of events occurred during the Dust Bowl period of the 1930s; however, trend analysis shows an increase in heat event number and length since 1951. Overnight extreme minimum temperature events are increasing more than daytime maximum temperatures, and regional analysis shows that events are becoming much more prevalent in the western and southeastern parts of the United States.

Modeling Building HVAC Energy Consumption During an Extreme Heat Event in a Dense Urban Environment

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yehisson Tibana ◽  
Estatio Gutierrez ◽  
Sashary Marte ◽  
J. E. Gonzalez
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Heat Wave ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Energy Model ◽  
Extreme Heat ◽  
Extreme Heat Events ◽  
Extreme Heat Event ◽  
Heat Event ◽  
Dense Urban Environment ◽  
Heat Events

Dense urban environments are exposed to the combined effects of rising global temperatures and urban heat islands, a thermal gradient between the urban centers and the less urbanized surroundings suburbs. This combination is resulting in increasing trends of energy consumption in cities, associated mostly to air conditioning to maintain indoor human comfort conditions. The energy demand is further magnified during extreme heat events to a point where the electrical grid may be at risk. Given the anticipated increased frequency of extreme heat events for the future, it is imperative to develop methodologies to quantify energy demands from buildings during extreme heat events. The purpose of this study is to precisely quantify thermal loads of buildings located in the very dense urban environment of New York City under an extreme heat event that took place in the summer of 2010 (July 4–8). Two approaches were used to quantify thermal loads of buildings for these conditions; a single building energy model (SBEM), such as the US Department of Energy eQUEST and EnergyPlus™, and an urbanized weather forecasting model (uWRF) coupled to a building energy model. The SBEM was driven by Typical Meteorological Year (TMY) weather file and by a customized weather file built from uWRF’s weather data for the specific days of the heat wave. A series of simulations were conducted with both SBEM software to model building energy consumption data due to air conditioning for two locations in Uptown and Midtown Manhattan, NY, which represented a low density and a high density building area within the city. Assumptions were made regarding the building’s floor plans and operation schedule to simplify the model and provide a close comparison to uWRF. Results of the ensemble of SBEM indicate there was an increase in energy consumption during the July 2010 heat-wave when compared with the central park TMY case. The uptown location consumed 137% more energy during the heat wave event, while the midtown location showed an increased in energy consumption of 125% when compared to a typical July three day period, reaching total loads of close to 9812 kWh for a 20 m height building. Comparison of the results directly from uWRF for the energy consumption for same locations, indicate that for the midtown location both SBEMs underestimated the total energy consumption within a factor of three. This may be due to the fact that uWRF energy model takes into account urban microclimate parameters such as anthropogenic sources and waste heat interactions between surrounding buildings.

scholarly journals Spatiotemporal variation in urban overheating magnitude and its association with synoptic air-masses in a coastal city

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hassan Saeed Khan ◽  
Mat Santamouris ◽  
Pavlos Kassomenos ◽  
Riccardo Paolini ◽  
Peter Caccetta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Extreme Heat ◽  
Daily Maximum ◽  
Synoptic Scale ◽  
Air Masses ◽  
Coastal City ◽  
Extreme Heat Events ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Heat Events

AbstractUrban overheating (UO) may interact with synoptic-scale weather conditions. The association between meteorological parameters and UO has already been a subject of considerable research, however, the impact of synoptic-scale weather conditions on UO magnitude, particularly in a coastal city that is also near the desert landmass (Sydney) has never been investigated before. The present research examines the influence of synoptic-scale weather conditions on UO magnitude in Sydney by utilizing the newly developed gridded weather typing classification (GWTC). The diurnal, and seasonal variations in suburban-urban temperature contrast (ΔT) in association with synoptic-scale weather conditions, and ΔT response to synoptic air-masses during extreme heat events are investigated in three zones of Sydney. Generally, an exacerbation in UO magnitude was reported at daytime over the years, whereas the nocturnal UO magnitude was alleviated over time. The humid warm (HW), and warm (W) air-masses were found primarily responsible for exacerbated daytime UO during extreme heat events and in all other seasons, raising the mean daily maximum ΔT to 8–10.5 °C in Western Sydney, and 5–6.5 °C in inner Sydney. The dry warm (DW), and W conditions were mainly responsible for urban cooling (UC) at nighttime, bringing down the mean daily minimum ΔT to − 7.5 to − 10 °C in Western Sydney, and − 6 to − 7.5 °C in inner Sydney. The appropriate mitigation technologies can be planned based on this study to alleviate the higher daytime temperatures in the Sydney suburbs.

Abstract P069: Heat, Heat Waves and Hospital Admissions in Indianapolis, Indiana

Circulation ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 135 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Wang
Keyword(s):  
Myocardial Infarction ◽  
Heart Failure ◽  
Relative Risk ◽  
Heat Wave ◽  
Hospital Admissions ◽  
Heat Waves ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Extreme Heat ◽  
Apparent Temperature ◽  
The Impact

Background: The association between heat and hospital admissions is well studied, but in Indiana where the regulatory agencies cites lack of evidence for global climate change, local evidence of such an association is critical for Indiana to mitigate the impact of increasing heat. Methods: Using a distributed-lag non-linear model, we studied the effects of moderate (31.7 °C or 90 th percentile of daily mean apparent temperature (AT)), severe (33.5 °C or 95 th percentile of daily mean apparent temperature (AT)) and extreme (36.4 °C or 99 th percentile of AT) heat on hospital admissions (June-August 2007-2012) for cardiovascular (myocardial infarction, myocardial infarction, heart failure) and heat-related diseases in Indianapolis, Indiana located in Marion County. We also examined the added effects of moderate heat waves (AT above the 90 th percentile lasting 2-6 days), severe heat waves (AT above the 95 th percentile lasting 2-6 days) and extreme heat waves (AT above the 99 th percentile lasting 2-6 days). In sensitivity analysis, we tested robustness of our results to 1) different temperature and lag structures and 2) temperature metrics (daily min, max and diurnal temperature range). Results: The relative risks of moderate heat, relative to 29.2°C (75 th percentile of AT), on admissions for cardiovascular disease (CVD), myocardial infarction (MI), heart failure (HF), and heat-related diseases (HD) were 0.98 (0.67, 1.44), 6.28 (1.48, 26.6), 1.38 (0.81, 2.36) and 1.73 (0.58, 5.11). The relative risk of severe heat on admissions for CVD, MI, HF, and HD were 0.93 (0.60, 1.43), 4.46 (0.85, 23.4), 1.30 (0.72, 2.34) and 2.14 (0.43, 10.7). The relative risk of extreme heat were 0.79 (0.26, 2.39), 0.11 (0.087, 1.32), 0.68 (0.18, 2.61), and 0.32 (0.005, 19.5). We also observed statistically significant added effects of moderate heat waves lasting 4 or 6 days on hospital admission for MI and HD and extreme heat waves lasting 4 days on hospital admissions for HD. Results were strengthened for people older than 65. Conclusions: Moderate heat wave lasting 4-6 days were associated with increased hospital admissions for MI and HD diseases and extreme heat wave lasting 4 days were associated with increased admissions for HD.

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