Context
The Warmest Three-Day Period index is relevant to sectors prone to heat stress such as human health and agriculture.
This index is based on daily mean temperature and is part of the Extreme Heat Hazard type of the Heat and Cold category of the classification.
High values of Warmest Three-Day Period mean more intense heatwaves during periods of high temperatures. A higher value indicates more intense heatwaves and thus more heat stress caused by prolonged periods of extreme daily temperatures.
Definition
The highest daily mean temperature averaged over a three-day window over a period (°C). In weather and climate models temperature is the variable simulating atmospheric air temperature at 2m above the surface. This Index is usually presented as annual, seasonal or monthly values over a reference period.
Data Sources
The data was assembled on behalf of the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) based on climate projections hosted on the C3S Climate Data Store (CDS). The Index is calculated from the ERA5 reanalysis and a set of nine bias-corrected multi-model simulations from the EURO-CORDEX experiment. These simulations have a spatial resolution of 0.25° x 0.25°, a 3-hourly output, and cover scenarios RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. More information about the dataset can be found in the corresponding CDS documentation resources.
Supporting Information
Further information about this application can be found in the ECDE application User Guide and the Data and datasets underpining the ECDE. Related information can also be found on other sections of the EEA site:
- The Index based interactive EEA report: Heat and cold — extreme heat (link).