What System is Best for Measuring Extreme Heat?
July 15, 2024 — “How we talk about hot weather is seriously flawed. As heat waves become more intense and more frequent because of climate change, we need to change the way we think about outdoor temperatures,” writes Joseph Allen, DSc, MPH, Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Health, in his recent op-ed in the Washington Post.
Dr. Allen advocates for the adoption of the “wet-bulb globe temperature” measuring system. This system measures air temperature, the amount of heat our bodies absorb from the sun, and our body’s ability to cool itself. These measurements make wet-bulb globe temperature measurements more accurate than the heat index, which assumes that people are in the shade. “What matters is not how hot the air is but how hot the weather is to a human body. For that, we need ‘wet-bulb globe temperature,’” says Dr. Allen.
Wet-bulb globe temperatures show that places that have lower temperatures with more humidity may be more dangerous than locations with higher temperatures but less humidity. Dr. Allen emphasizes that while dry heat waves are dangerous, it is also essential to acknowledge the hazards associated with humid heat.
Dr. Allen seeks to increase knowledge of the wet-bulb temperature measuring system so that the public can properly prepare and stay safe from extreme heat. “We have the tools to measure this correctly; we just need to use them,” he concludes.
Read the full Washington Post op-ed here.
