As record-breaking heat waves sweep across North America and Europe, a new international project is experimenting with naming heat waves to raise public awareness of their severity.
The Adrienne Arsht Rockefeller Foundation’s Center for Resilience, a Washington, D.C.-based group that studies climate resilience, is running a pilot program to see if a heat wave naming system will influence public perception — and actions — during periods of intense heat.
The World Economic Forum reports that countries around the world are experiencing record heat waves this year. Rising global temperatures are making heat waves more frequent, severe and long-lasting.
“Heat, unlike other natural disasters, is silent and often invisible. That’s why it’s so important to raise awareness about what heat can do because it’s actually one of the deadliest natural disasters we face,” said Curt Schickman, the center’s director of extreme heat initiatives.
“So this disparity between how dangerous they are versus how visible they are really requires branding and requires more effort to raise people’s profile on this issue.”
The program launched in six cities, including Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee and Kansas City, Missouri, in the United States, as well as Seville, Spain and Athens, Greece. In July, Seville was the first city in the world to name a heat wave, calling it Zoe, according to Schickman.
A firefighter works to put out a forest fire approaching a house in Tabara, northwestern Spain, in July. (Bernath Armange/AP)
“There was a lot of media coverage around it and it got a lot of attention,” Schickman said.
“It’s important not only to bring attention to the system, but actually to make people aware that this is a dangerous time.”
WMO is concerned about confusing the public
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a UN agency, has said it supports the classification of heat waves, but it is uncertain how the naming of heat waves works scientifically. The WCO also questioned whether the system could be confusing to the public.
“The most important issue here is that in most countries, only certain national agencies such as weather services or public health agencies have national responsibility to issue official heat warnings,” said Bob Stefanski, head of applied climate services at WMO.
“We just want to make sure that these independent practices are coordinated and we don’t risk violating the civil protection protocols that are already in place,” Stefanski said.
Tourists cool off and drink at a fountain in front of the Pantheon, amid a brutal heatwave that is sweeping Europe, in central Rome, July 19, 2022. (Andreas Solaro/AFP via Getty Images)
In Canada, some researchers agree with the WMO and are skeptical about how the naming system will communicate the severity of heat waves.
“I’m really, really against it. I think hearing, you know, the heat wave, Zoe or Joey is about to come your way. It really doesn’t strike fear into my heart. I think you don’t necessarily pay attention to it,” said climatologist David Phillips. Phillips is a long-time researcher with Environment Canada, but shared his personal opinion with the CBC.
He also pointed out the reason why a tropical storm naming system was developed, for clear communication. Several storms may be occurring in close proximity or have the potential to collide.
Heat waves are also difficult to define and measure, Phillips said.
“In a tropical storm, one element decides whether it will be a tropical storm or a Category 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 hurricane, and that is the sustained wind. It’s scientific, it’s measurable,” Phillips said.
“But I think with heat waves, I just think there are so many meteorological elements that make it up.”
Other Canadian researchers are interested in seeing the data collected through the Adrienne Arsht Rockefeller Foundation’s Center for Sustainability pilot project to see how the naming system can be an effective communication tool.
Support in Canada
“I don’t see a lot of downsides, and I think it’s a good idea to try,” said Farah Shroff, an associate member of the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia.
“The main idea here is to reinforce the messaging around what a heat wave is and how serious it is.”
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Shroff said one of her main caveats is that names should be chosen appropriately. A 2014 study found that hurricanes with names associated with men are taken more seriously than those with names associated with women.
“Really tailoring the messaging very, very carefully and clearly, in ways that we reach those who are most vulnerable so that we, as a community, are all safe together,” Shroff said.
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