IMPACTS OF CLIMATE-INDUCED HEAT STRESS ON WOMEN IN ACCRA, GHANA

This dataset contains daily thermal monitoring records collected across nine informal settlement communities in Accra, Ghana, between 20 January and 30 April 2025. The data were generated as part of a mixed-methods study examining spatial and temporal patterns of heat stress exposure in urban informal settlements, with a focus on implications for women informal workers.

The dataset comprises 2,656 daily observations from 27 monitoring locations distributed across the nine study communities: Chorkor, Darkuman, James Town, Kanda, Korkomelele, Malata, Mamobi, New Town, and Nima. Each record contains the date of observation, dry-bulb air temperature (°C), relative humidity (%), and the derived Humidex value, which serves as the primary thermal stress metric. Humidex was computed following the Environment and Climate Change Canada formulation, integrating temperature and humidity into a single index of perceived heat burden. Where available, records also include a thermal perception rating reported by the weather diary participant at the monitoring location on the day of observation.

The dataset is structured as one Excel workbook per community, with each workbook containing daily records for all monitoring locations within that community across the full 101-day data collection period. Monitoring locations are identified by a community code and location identifier. All personal identifiers have been removed; monitoring locations are identified only by their community and positional codes.

The thermal conditions documented in this dataset are severe. Across all observations, 83.7% of records fall within the Humidex range of 40.0–45.9 (designated "great discomfort" requiring avoidance of physical exertion), and 14.6% exceed 46.0 (designated "dangerous"). No observation recorded a Humidex value below 29, indicating that thermal neutrality was never achieved at any monitoring location during the study period. The highest heat stress communities, as determined by mean Humidex, peak frequency, and rate of temporal escalation, are Nima, Chorkor, and James Town.

These data directly underlie the quantitative findings reported in: Yeboah Nketiah, R., & Addaney, M. (under review). Women, Heat, and Informality: Gendered Adaptation Constraints in Urban Informal Settlements in Accra, Ghana. PLOS Climate (PCLM-D-26-00090).

Keywords: urban heat stress, Humidex, informal settlements, Accra, Ghana, West Africa, climate monitoring, thermal comfort, heat exposure, gender and climate

Spatial coverage: Greater Accra Metropolitan Area, Ghana (5.33°N–5.72°N, 0.05°W–0.30°W)

Temporal coverage: 20 January 2025 – 30 April 2025

Methods: Daily temperature and relative humidity measurements were recorded using calibrated digital hygrometer-thermometers installed at fixed monitoring locations within each community. Humidex values were computed from the recorded temperature and relative humidity using the standard Meteorological Service of Canada formula. Data were verified for outliers and transcribed from field logbooks into the digital dataset by trained field enumerators.

Ethical note: Data were collected under ethics approval from the University of Energy and Natural Resources Committee for Human Research and Ethics (Protocol CHRE/CA/224/024). All monitoring locations are identified by code only. No participant-level personal data are included in this dataset.

Licence: CC BY 4.0

Related publication: Yeboah Nketiah, R., & Addaney, M. (under review). Women, Heat, and Informality: Gendered Adaptation Constraints in Urban Informal Settlements in Accra, Ghana. PLOS Climate.