Stay ahead of the heat with Google's new alert system

Onur Demirkol
Mar 29, 2023
Google
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Google plans to add alerts in search to help cities and organizations adapt to rising temperatures.

According to a blog post published by Google today, the company wants to warn people ahead with alerts implemented in search to help people take precautions against extreme heat. 

"When people search for information on extreme heat, they'll see details on when a heat wave is predicted to start and end, tips on staying cool, and related health concerns to be aware of — all prominently displayed in Search results. To make sure the information is relevant and accurate, we're working with the Global Heat Health Information Network (GHHIN)," says Google.

Google has announced its new features, including a heat alert system, to help communities fight with climate change.
Google

Search interest in heat waves reached a record high globally

The blog post also mentions that nearly 500,000 people die every year due to extreme heat, and in July 2022, search interest in heat waves reached a record high globally. 

Climate change is one of the most serious issues today, and extreme heat is becoming more frequent as the years pass. Going out under extreme heat conditions is dangerous as you might face serious health issues.

"We feel a great sense of responsibility as we continue to scale this work building on this type of alert. Climate change is the defining challenge of our generation, which brings new and extreme weather events that many of us are learning how to adapt to," Hema Budaraju, senior director of product for health and social impact at Google search, said in a press briefing yesterday. 

Besides the extreme heat alerts, Google has also introduced AI-powered tools to help communities handle hotter temperatures. In 2020, the company launched Tree Canopy in Los Angeles to help determine the city's parts that lack tree cover. Google expanded the project from 14 cities to 350 cities all around the globe, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Buenos Aires, Lisbon, Mexico City, Paris, Sydney, Toronto, and more.

Google has announced its new features, including a heat alert system, to help communities fight with climate change.
Tree Canopy/Google

The tech giant also supports non-profit organizations through Google.org, and last year it held a $30 million "Google.org Impact Challenge," an open call for non-profits to submit big ideas for climate action. World Resources Institute (WRI) has become the first recipient to receive $5 million to support its project, which will use sensors, satellite imagery, and AI to close data gaps, model air temperature, humidity, surface reflectivity, tree cover, and heat vulnerability.

The company previously launched similar features for wildfires and floods. Google is the most-used search engine, and most seek answers and turn to the internet about serious concerns. 

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Comments

  1. txtim said on March 29, 2023 at 5:19 pm
    Reply

    just in case you don’t know if it gets hot where you live

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