High-resolution dataset tracks health impacts of urban heat stress

Adding in the atmosphere 

HUMID-Atlanta is publicly available. Lin and other NSF NCAR researchers are continuing to improve the method and have already extended the HUMID-Atlanta dataset through the year 2025. There are plans to use the method for other large cities, the entire U.S., and possibly even globally. Lin believes this method could also be further developed to forecast future meteorological changes and serve as a potential tool for early warning systems for extreme heat action days.

Focusing on health

"Not only is acute kidney injury a serious health concern, but the economic burden of treating those with it is substantial,"said Newman. "HUMID-Atlanta and subsequent versions have the ability to fill major gaps in heat health research. This research will ultimately support targeted outreach and education activities, guide improvements in clinical case management, and provide inputs for risk assessment and economic evaluation of heat-health impacts."

Source:

National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

Journal reference: