• AMS Institute

• Data

• Openbare ruimte,
• Natuur & Milieu

Amsterdam Atmospheric Monitoring Supersite (AAMS)

Project information

By setting up a meteorological network with 30 weather stations, the goal of the Amsterdam Atmospheric Monitoring Supersite (AAMS) is to increase our understanding of local weather, climate and air to help improve local hydrology, air quality and citizens’ health.

During the heatwave in July, we launched weather balloons from Dam Square to expand the city’s weather models with vertical measurements. For a period of 24 hours, every 2 hours, a total of 12 weather balloons measured to what height the heat in the city differs measurably from the temperatures outside the city, also known as the ‘urban heat island’. The results? In the evening the heat of the city impacted temperatures up to a height of 120 meters (about 50 storeys high). Also, at night it remained 3.4 degrees Celsius warmer in the city compared to the countryside. The measurements on Dam Square created a buzz in the Dutch media. With exposure in: NRC Handelsblad, Het Parool, NOS, RTL Nieuws.