Heatwaves and urban mobility: why public transport needs climate intelligence

In the span of few weeks since summer has started in the northern emisphere, Europe has faced already one of the most intense heatwave ever registered. While many South European cities are better used to face the extreme heat, many other cities across Europe are struggling to find better ways to tackle this new challenge, and especially when it comes to mobility and public transportation.

As Europe faces heatwaves that are becoming more frequent and more severe every year, transport operators are under growing pressure to keep networks running safely, while also protecting the people who use and work on them.

In this backdrop, understanding how heat is affecting a city's public transportation, and how that exposure is likely to change, has quickly become essential for planning information rather than a nice-to-have.

The Copernicus Insights Repository

The Copernicus Insights Repository, developed under the JULIA project, provides an accessible way to explore environmental and climate insights. Powered by Earth Observation (Copernicus) data, it helps turning complex satellite and climate datasets into something operators can actually reflect on.

Taking Madrid as an example, the following video shows a clear increase in the number of days above 30°C since 2010. Forecasts suggest that this trend will continue,, which is exactly the kind of information public transport operators (PTOs) need in order to anticipate operational impacts before they happen, rather than reacting once services are already affected.

Clear and tangible benefits for Public Transport Operators (PTOs)

Thanks to these insights, PTOs can make more informed decisions on:

• Adapting service planning around periods of extreme heat
• Protecting passengers and staff during high-temperature events
• Identifying heat-exposed areas across the network
• Preparing infrastructure to withstand rising temperatures
• Improving communication with passengers during extreme weather events

This is the goal of JULIA Project: with our partners, we are turning Earth Observation, climate and weather data into actionable intelligence for healthier, safer and more resilient urban mobility systems.

About JULIA

JULIA is a Horizon Europe project demonstrating how European space technologies, such as Galileo and Copernicus, can improve the efficiency, safety, and sustainability of public transport. JULIA brings together 13 partners across Europe to co-create and test innovative, data-driven applications for the future of mobility.

By integrating Galileo’s high-precision navigation data with Copernicus Earth observation (EO) analytics, JULIA develops and tests market-ready solutions that support better fleet management, air quality monitoring, infrastructure safety, and climate resilience.

For more information, visit juliaproject.eu