• Urban heat islands and their impact on people with health issues
• Temperature estimates and their application in urban planning
• Flood monitoring and winter season planning
• The role of wind flows in city planning
• Air quality prediction and applications

Temperature

The modelled air temperature can be used for monitoring urban heat islands, for determining their extent, and for warning residents of great heat stress in certain areas of the city. These warnings are particularly relevant for people with health risks, elderly people, or pregnant women.

Air temperature estimates can additionally be used by urban planning institutions and architectural companies for a climate-friendly design of new areas, reconstructions of parks, squares, and buildings in order to achieve the optimal solution for the population in the city.

Precipitation

Precipitation can vary greatly even within small areas. Monitoring is therefore important. In case of heavy rain events, flooding estimates require determining the exact location of the heavy precipitation, both for planning and for evacuation. Modelled precipitation data allows planners and insurers to easily check weather related insurance reports for credibility.

In winter, it is useful to know where and how much snow to expect. Municipal utilities are thus enabled to better plan road salt stocks for the winter season, based on the provided data.

Wind speed and direction

To cool down the urban area during summer, it is key to retain cool air channels, devoid of buildings which would block the airflow. To detect the cold air corridors, wind flows and wind fields are estimated from modelled wind data.

The data can also be used for tracking particulate matter and air pollution in general, and to differentiate areas of relief or concern. Accurate data of wind flows are useful also when issuing more precise warnings in the event of fire and smoke.

In spring and summer, it is important to predict pollen count precisely within complex urban areas in order to notify individuals who suffer from allergies.