Google Introduces New Heat Alerts in Search to Keep People Safe During Heat Waves

Google announced on Tuesday that it will be rolling out new extreme heat alerts in Search in the coming months to help people stay safe during heat waves. The alerts will provide information about when a heat wave is expected to begin and end, as well as tips on staying cool and warning users about related health concerns.

The company has partnered with the Global Heat Health Information Network to ensure that the information it surfaces in the heat alerts is accurate. The feature comes as search interest in heat waves reached a record high globally in June 2022.

Google has been displaying alerts for natural disasters like wildfires, earthquakes, and hurricanes for several years. Now, the company is doing the same for heat waves. Hema Budaraju, Google’s senior director of product for health and search, said that the new heat alert is one of the many ways Google is updating search to help people find timely, authoritative, and actionable information when they need it most.

The company also announced that it has expanded its Tree Canopy tool from 14 cities to nearly 350 cities globally. The tool combines AI and aerial imagery to help cities understand their current tree coverage and plan urban forestry initiatives. Google plans to expand the tool to thousands of additional cities this year, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Buenos Aires, Lisbon, Mexico City, Paris, Sydney, and Toronto, among others.