06/06/2026
🌡️ How Do Cities Prepare for Heat They Haven’t Experienced Before?
"This is an unprecedented event, with about a one-in-1,000 chance of occurring in a given year."
That is how climatologist Christophe Cassou described the extreme heat that affected parts of France in May 2026.
In parts of Western Europe, temperatures rose 10-15 °C above seasonal norms, while the UK recorded its hottest May day on record at 34.8 °C.
Sources: https://tinyurl.com/c7849umy, https://tinyurl.com/5xhfustp
But before cities can respond to extreme heat, they first need to understand it.
→ Where are temperatures highest?
→ Which neighbourhoods are most exposed?
→ Where is green infrastructure lacking?
→ Which populations are most vulnerable?
Answering these questions requires environmental data collected from multiple sources, including sensors, drones, and Earth observation programmes such as Copernicus.
This information can then be analysed through geospatial tools to create maps, identify patterns, and support urban planning decisions.
At Inhabitat MSc, students explore these processes through the Remote Sensing and Geodata Management module (https://tinyurl.com/INHABITATCourse). Working with environmental datasets from satellites, drones, and ground-based measurements, students learn how data can be collected, processed, visualised, and ultimately used to address real-world urban and environmental challenges.
As climate pressures continue to affect European cities, understanding how to turn environmental data into actionable information is becoming increasingly important.
Funding Agency: https://www.eacea.ec.europa.eu/
Learn more about INHABITAT: https://www.inhabitatmsc.eu/
