meteoblue has been innovation leader of city climate projects for several years, starting with its measurement network in Basel in 2019. We now partner with various cities to establish comprehensive measurement networks and support smart city initiatives like urban climate analysis. One of the latest cities to join this effort is Krefeld, Germany.
Krefeld initially began its collaboration with meteoblue by installing a few meteorological weather stations to measure the city’s climate. Over time, the network expanded, and Krefeld set its sights on actively involving its residents in climate research through Citizen-Science activities. This approach fosters a trusting relationship between city administration and its citizens while promoting a scientific dialogue about climate change and its impact on urban environments and public health.
Citizen-Science, which involves public participation in scientific projects, often focuses on data collection. In Krefeld, residents were given the opportunity to gather climate data using MeteoTrackers - high-accuracy mini-weather stations designed for mobile use. These devices can be attached to bicycles, backpacks, or vehicles, allowing users to easily record climate data via a smartphone app.
To kick off the project, meteoblue and Krefeld's project managers hosted a workshop in June 2024, introducing participants to the MeteoTrackers and the project’s goals. Since then, the devices have been anonymously recording meteorological parameters e.g., air temperature, geocoordinates, and time, with the data being saved in a cloud-based system. This information is seamlessly integrated into Krefeld's stationary network and is used for advanced city climate analysis at meteoblue.
The project, along with the ongoing analysis of the gathered data, is still in progress. To date, a total of 290,437 data points and 541 recorded trips have been accumulated.
meteoblue has recently initiated first analyses, in which we compared the temperature measurements from all rides conducted between June 11th and July 30th with official stationary data from the German Weather Service (Deutscher Wetterdienst, DWD). The DWD station in Düsseldorf served as a reference point against the data gathered at different locations within Krefeld.
The following image presents a plot showing the difference between MeteoTracker measurements and the corresponding DWD measurement at each time step. This allows us to visualize the temperature variations within Krefeld. Our analysis reveals that temperatures in the outskirts of Krefeld tend to be slightly lower than those in the city center. This observation is consistent with the urban heat island effect, where urban areas experience higher temperatures than their rural surroundings, and it underscores the climate variability within the city.
This data is invaluable for refining our Urban Heat Maps, which are crucial for climate monitoring, early detection of heat waves, and supporting effective heat wave management strategies.
For example, in the week of the 12th of August, Germany experienced one of the hottest days of the current year. Our heat map indicated temperatures reaching up to 37°C in the evening of Monday, 12th of August (see screenshots). Cities are particularly vulnerable to climate change due to the urban heat island effect, highlighting the urgent need for action to improve urban climates. Projects like this one are essential in helping city planners create healthier and more sustainable environments for residents.
The collaboration between meteoblue and Krefeld enhances the city's climate data collection and empowers residents to play an active role in understanding and addressing climate change at the local level. meteoblue is proud to collaborate with cities like Krefeld to drive meaningful change. Additional information about the collaboration with Krefeld can be found in the latest press release.
More information on how meteoblue can assist your city is available on our city climate product pages.
