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Thesis
Assessing The Weather Stress Index (Wsi) In Three Cities In The Southern USA: Implications For Human Wellness
University of West Florida Libraries
Master of Science (MS), University of West Florida
2025
Abstract
This study assesses the Weather Stress Index (WSI) in three southern U.S. cities—Miami, Phoenix, and Oklahoma City—over a 51-year period (1973–2023) to examine variability in extreme heat and humidity during summer (June-August). The WSI was developed to assess thermal discomfort by calculating apparent temperature (AT) using a simple algorithm combining air temperature and dew point and comparing how a particular day’s AT varies from the mean apparent temperature for that day at that locale. Linear regression and the Mann-Kendall rank statistic were used to identify trends in AT. The analysis reveals significant increasing trends across the three cities. Phoenix showed the highest increase, especially in August, where apparent temperatures increased by 0.0688°C/year, while Miami exhibited consistent warming. Oklahoma City showed more variable trends.
Comparing the top 10 apparent AT with the highest dew point and air temperature days shows that air temperature is the primary driver to high AT in all three cities, although there was a slight correlation with dew point on the extreme AT days in Miami. The 95th and 99th percentile WSI level indicates that Phoenix experiences the highest AT in the study. This is likely due to the high-pressure systems which lead to atmospheric subsidence and clear skies, coupled with relative aridity and high air temperatures, typical of the desert climate.
The use of the WSI enhances the need for public health interventions and planning strategies to mitigate the impact of prolonged heat exposure on human well-being in major southern United State cities.
Details
- Title
- Assessing The Weather Stress Index (Wsi) In Three Cities In The Southern USA
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Contributors
- Jason Ortegren (Committee Chair)Kwame Ntiri Owusu Daaku (Committee Member) - University of West Florida, Hal Marcus College of Science and EngineeringWilliam Tyminski (Committee Member)
- Publisher
- University of West Florida Libraries
- Format
- pdf
- Number of pages
- 84
- Copyright
- Permission granted to the University of West Florida Libraries by the author to digitize and/or display this information for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires the permission of the copyright holder.
- Identifiers
- 99381469153806600
- Academic Unit
- Earth and Environmental Sciences
- Language
- English
- Awarding Institution
- University of West Florida; Master of Science (MS)
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), University of West Florida