If parts of Alexandria are feeling the heat more than others, heat islands may be to blame.
The temperature is forecast to be 100 degrees on Thursday (July 16), when more than 30 teams will fan out to identify the hottest areas across Alexandria, Arlington and Fairfax County. The teams from George Mason University’s Virginia Climate Center and Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions will monitor temperature and humidity variations at 30 locations as part of their “Urban Heat Island Mapping Project.”
“Heat risk is on the rise and Virginians are already feeling the impacts,” James Kinter, director of GMU’s Virginia Climate Center and Center for Ocean Land Atmosphere Studies, said in a release. “High temperatures and humidity can lead to heat stress, heat stroke and even death.”
The teams will collect the data by driving around in vehicles with rooftop sensors, and the information will be sent to GMU. Measurements will be taken in the morning, afternoon and early evening.
“The Climate Center will later render the data into high-resolution heat maps that will indicate which neighborhoods need intervention to reduce dangerous summer temperatures,” according to GMU.
A second phase for the project will then share the findings with FACS and local officials in order to “inform policy decisions such as tree canopy expansion and other initiatives.”
Chris Topoleski, executive director of Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions, said this will be the most granular measurement of heat ever attempted in the region.
“We know that neighborhoods with few trees and a lot of asphalt can be dangerously hot in summer,” Topoleski said. “Once we’re done, we’ll know how hot these neighborhoods are.”
Extremely hot summers are becoming regular occurrences in Alexandria. Earlier this month, Alexandria experienced temperatures topping 100 degrees and a real-feel heat index as high as 112 degrees.
