Tuesday 19 July, 2005

MEDIA RELEASE

Wind chill, heat stress new measures of Australia's weather

Two measures of thermal comfort - wind chill and heat stress - will be made available for locations around Australia on the Bureau of Meteorology website from today, Director of Meteorology Dr Geoff Love has announced. Dr Love said that wind chill and heat stress values would be calculated using the Apparent Temperature index developed by Dr Robert Steadman, an Honorary Research Fellow at La Trobe University's Department of Agricultural Sciences.

The Apparent Temperature scale was developed to combine the atmospheric elements of wind, temperature and humidity to describe what the temperature feels like to an average human adult in the shade, wearing appropriate clothing for the conditions.

“It is particularly appropriate that this information be made available to the public at this time, which is traditionally the coldest part of winter,” Dr Love said. “For temperatures below 20 degrees, the Apparent Temperature combines temperature and wind speed observations to provide valuable information about wind chill for about 450 of the bureau's automatic weather station sites around Australia and in Antarctica. At this time of year it will be most important for the stations in alpine regions, where many people are outdoors and exposed to the elements.”

When the temperature rises above 20 degrees, Apparent Temperature measures heat stress by combining temperature and humidity. “This index of heat stress is used elsewhere around the world and particularly in the United States where it is known as the Heat Index,” Dr Love said.

The Apparent Temperature is available for each state and territory on the bureau website: http://www.bom.gov.au Go to [State] Weather and Warnings / Weather Observations, All Latest Observations / Latest Weather Observations, Thermal Comfort Observations.

Direct links
NSW and ACT: http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDN65179.shtml
Victoria: http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDV65079.shtml
Queensland: http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDQ65214.shtml
Western Australia: http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDW65100.shtml
South Australia: http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDS65004.shtml
Tasmania: http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDT65050.shtml
Northern Territory: http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDD65155.shtml
Antarctica: http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDT65024.shtml (*Antarctica product released December 2005 - with this amendment to the Media Release 9 Dec 2005)

Further information
Alasdair Hainsworth, Bureau of Meteorology, tel: (03) 9669 4546
Dr Robert Steadman, tel (03) 9354 2212

Ends