A new mapping tool, launched last week, details aerial thermal imaging from 16 council districts across the Adelaide plains.

Did you know that heatwaves kill more people than any other natural disaster including flooding, bush-fires and cyclones? As our towns and streets become hotter, the heat mapping allows us to identify the places most at risk from heat stress.

You can check out how heat exposed your home, business or school is by using the Search function in the top right corner to search for your house or suburb. Click anywhere to get the land-surface temperature.

As temperatures continue to rise, there are lots of things we can do to cool our homes, streets and public spaces.

The heat mapping shows us tha twater and vegetation have a cooling effect. Coastal areas are also cooler than inland areas. We can’t all move to the coast, but we can introduce water into our local environments.

By identifying hot-spots, we can better inform our management decisions relating to tree plantings, urban planning and the health and well being of our community.

The mapping was compiled by the Department of Environment and Water and includes the mapping undertaken by Resilient South councils including the Cities of Holdfast Bay, Marion, Mitcham and Onkaparinga.