Kite’s New Heatwave Forecast is Here
Introducing Advanced Heatwave Alerts: Proactive Heat Risk Management with Kite
As climate conditions intensify, traditional heatwave warning methods based on temperature alone often fail to capture the true risks faced by those working in the heat. Recognising this need, the team at Weather Intelligence has developed an innovative heatwave warning methodology that fills the gap for managing heat stress in outdoor workers.
Why This New Methodology Matters
Unlike traditional heatwave indicators that rely on temperature alone, our new approach considers both temperature and the apparent temperature or “feels like” temperature, which incorporates both temperature and humidity — two critical factors in heat stress.
Having been tested across many different climate zones in Australia the methodology picks up humidity-driven heatwave days not previously identified by assessing temperature alone. By including the additional influence of humidity to define a heatwave (or Humid Heatwave), the days that workers are potentially more at risk can be identified.
The number of additional Humid Heatwave days classified as severe varies across climatic zones from less than an average of one day per year in Broken Hill, Kalgoolie and Roxbury Downs to greater than one day per year in Darwin, Katherine, Emerald, Mt Isa and the Pilbara. This can be seen in the Figure below.
Average Number of Additional Humidity-Driven Heatwave Days per year shown in Yellow
How it Works
Weather Intelligence’s methodology builds on the Bureau of Meteorology’s proven framework, but with enhancements.
- 45-year site specific heat stress climatology (January 1979 to February 2024) to determine what is normal and what is extreme
- Humidity influenced heatwaves now captured
- Site specific messaging that identifies the duration of the heatwave as well as the individual days that workers are more at risk
Bringing This Innovation to Kite
This pioneering methodology is now an integral part of our Kite Weather Risk Management Platform. Through Kite, you’ll receive proactive heatwave alerts tailored to your location, allowing you to prepare in advance and protect your team from unseen risks.
With Weather Intelligence’s new heatwave warning technology, stay one step ahead of extreme heat events—ensuring safer, smarter work environments.
