Environment Matters Spring - Summer 2023

THE DANGER OF URBAN HEAT

Council heat map of the urban footprint.

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HEATWAVES

WHAT IS IT? Our urban areas have a lot of paved and dark-coloured surfaces such as roads, roofs and carparks. These hard surfaces absorb the sun’s heat, causing the surface and surrounding temperatures to rise, as well as trapping that heat and taking longer to cool down at night. As a result of this ‘urban heat island effect’, urban areas can be several degrees hotter than country areas. Did you know: The surface temperature of concrete can reach 65°C under full sun. WHAT ARE WE DOING IN IPSWICH? A three-year collaborative project has focused on gathering important data for understanding our local urban heat island issue, and potential solutions.

Heatwaves are a silent killer, having caused more deaths since 1890 than bushfires, cyclones, earthquakes, floods and severe storms combined. A heatwave has unusually hot temperatures over at least 3 days, generally during October to March. Extreme heatwaves are a risk for anyone who does not take precautions to keep cool – even those who are healthy – and can impact infrastructure such as power and transport. Have a plan to beat the heat Drink plenty of water Stay out of the sun Keep cool Check on and look after others – and don’t forget your pets! Be Heatwave Ready – find more information at Ipswich.qld.gov.au/emergency

Ipswich City Council, University of the Sunshine Coast and Griffith University worked together to install sensors to gather temperature and humidity data in local urban areas. Two locations, Ipswich Central and Ripley, were then modelled and virtual reality was used to provide real-time solutions for community feedback. The project found several areas in Ipswich’s urban footprint are prone to urban heat island effect, especially during heatwaves. No ‘cool islands’ were identified. The overnight minimums are consistently higher than the temperature recorded by the Bureau of Meteorology. Citywide heat mapping has also helped identify priority areas for actions to reduce urban heat island effect.

VR simulation of Brisbane Street Ipswich

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