Innovative Microclimate Mapping to Beat the Urban Heat Wave
Sydney is taking proactive measures to address urban heat by strategically placing 200 temperature gauges across the city to study the heat island effect.
The initiative, conducted in collaboration with Western Sydney University, will map air temperatures during the summer and assess the thermal performance of assets such as trees and parks. The temperature gauges, known as loggers, will be deployed mostly in trees across the city, as well as near roads and buildings, recording temperatures every 10 minutes to provide more than 3 million data points throughout the study, which runs until March 2024.
The study aims to identify microclimates and inform heat adaptation strategies to combat rising temperatures. Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore said:
“We are in a climate emergency. This year is on track to be the hottest Australia has ever experienced. Our climate is trending warmer and the weather is becoming more extreme, so we must prepare and adapt…”
Climate Action Hub
Sydney has also established Australia’s largest climate action hub for projects like renewable energy and the circular economy. As the climate gets warmer, the air temperature loggers will provide crucial data for the hub to use in its forward planning.
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation predicts Sydney’s climate to resemble Grafton’s by 2050. The project aligns with the city’s ambitious goals of achieving net-zero emissions by 2035 and increasing tree canopy cover to 27% and green cover to 40% by 2050. The findings are anticipated in September 2024.
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The study will map air temperatures throughout the summer while investigating the thermal performance of assets like trees and parks.
