The Ruisdael measuring network in Amsterdam, the Amsterdam Atmospheric Monitoring Supersite, was expanded this summer with sensors for the black globe temperature and precipitation (see photo), with the support of the municipality of Amsterdam. The black globe thermometer establishes the balance between heating by solar and thermal radiation on the one hand and the removal of heat by free and forced convection on the other. This is an important measure of heat stress for humans, which is already often used operationally in the USA and Australia. To support the further development of the warning systems in the Netherlands, we are now starting with these observations. The figure below shows the time series of the measured air temperature and the black bulb temperature for the heat wave in September 2023, and that the daytime heat load is higher than could be expected based on air temperature. In addition, ten precipitation sensors have been installed in addition to the precipitation measurements by Waternet.
The figure below shows the evolution of observed air temperature and black globe temperature at the Javakade in Amsterdam (4-12 September 2023).
