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 naming system for heat waves will affect public perception—and actions— in periods of intense heat. The World Economic Forum reports that countries around the world are experiencing record heat This year. Rising global temperatures are making heat waves more common, severe and long-lasting. “Heat, unlike other natural disasters, is silent and often unseen. Therefore, it is extremely important to raise awareness about what heat can do because it is actually one of the deadliest natural disasters that we’re dealing with,” said Kurt Shickman, director of extreme heat initiatives at the center. “And so that 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, Mo., in the United States as well as Seville, Spain and Athens, Greece. In July, Seville became the first city in the world to name a heat wave, calling it Zoe, according to Shickman. A firefighter works to put out a fire approaching a house in Tabara, northwestern Spain, in July. (Bernat Armangue/AP) “There was a lot of media coverage around it and a lot of attention was paid to it,” Shickman said. “This is important, not just to bring attention to the system, but actually, to make people aware that this is a dangerous time.”
WMO is concerned about public confusion
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a United Nations agency, said it supports the classification of heat waves, but is not sure how scientifically naming a heat wave works. The WMO also questioned whether the system could cause public confusion. “The most important issue here is that, in most countries, only designated national agencies, such as weather services or public health agencies, have the national responsibility to issue official heat warnings,” said Bob Stefanski, head of Applied Climate Services. to the WMO. “We just want to make sure that these independent practices are coordinated and we don’t risk disrupting 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 scorching heatwave sweeping Europe in central Rome on July 19, 2022. (Andreas Solaro/AFP via Getty Images) In Canada, some researchers agree with the WMO and are skeptical of how a 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 going to come your way. It doesn’t really strike fear into my heart. I think don’t necessarily pay attention to it,” the climatologist said David Phillips Phillips is a longtime researcher at Environment Canada, but he shared his personal perspective with the CBC. He also pointed out that the reason a naming system was developed for tropical storms was for clear communication. Multiple 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 factor that decides whether it’s going to be a tropical storm or a category 1,2,3,4 or 5 hurricane is the sustained wind. It’s scientific, it’s measured,” Phillips said. “But I think with heat waves, I just think there are so many weather elements that make it up.” Other Canadian researchers are interested in looking at the data collected through the Adrienne Arsht Rockefeller Foundation’s Resilience Center pilot project to see how a naming system could be an effective communication tool.
Support in Canada
“I don’t see a lot of downside 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 upgrade the messaging about what a heat wave is and how severe it is.” WATCHES | Millions of Canadians are trying to stay cool during the heatwave:
Millions of Canadians are trying to stay cool during the heatwave
Five provinces are in the grip of a high heatwave, with experts urging cities to prioritize green spaces and access to water to help vulnerable communities cope. 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. “We’re really tailoring the messages very, very carefully and clearly, in ways that reach those who are most vulnerable so that, as a community, we can all be safe together,” Shroff said.
