Benchmarking Urban Heat in the City of Willoughby: A study of Summer Temperatures in the Local Government Area

This research project documents the variation of air temperature across the City of Willoughby, NSW, Australia, during the summer of 2023/24. During extreme heat events, near-surface air temperatures varied by as much as 17°C from east (cooler) to west (warmer). Industrial areas represented local hot spots, including those in the suburbs of Artarmon and St Leonards. The nearest official weather station at Observatory Hill recorded five hot days (at or greater than 35°C) and the absolute maximum air temperature measured at that location in the 2023/24 summer was 40°C. In contrast, this study shows that the population of the City of Willoughby experienced 16 hot days and the absolute maximum air temperature was 46°C. Clearly, the population of the City of Willoughby is exposed to high - and possibly dangerous - heat much more frequently than assumed when relying on the nearest official weather station. This poses the risk of low community awareness of, and preparedness for extreme heat events.