Weekly Mosquito Forecast Available in the U.S.

In a recent collaboration, Google Earth Engine, SC Johnson, and Climate Engine, present Off!Cast Mosquito Forecast.

The new online tool provides weekly mosquito forecasts for the entire United States and is available free to the public. It includes forecasts of the life cycle of mosquitoes in various locations.

Aside from the life cycle, the mosquito forecast is derived from variables such as temperature and humidity fluctuations that benefit the said insect.

The online tool was developed by Google Earth Engine, SC Johnson, and Climate Engine. Off!Cast Mosquito Forecast helps prevent the spread of diseases caused by the blood-sucking insects.

Available Online for U.S. Locations

The Off!Cast Mosquito Forecast is available online at any time and to anyone. However, it currently caters to only 48 of the states of the U.S.

Developers are currently working to include data that will provide forecasts for Alaska and Hawaii. Data such as the different types of mosquitoes in Hawaii and the different weather configurations in Alaska, which can affect the accuracy of the predictions, are still in the works.

There are plans to develop the forecast for other countries such as Brazil and Mexico.

To see the seven-day forecast, only the zip code of the location in question is needed. After clicking on the "Get your forecast" button, the mosquito forecast for the seven days, starting with the current day, is displayed.

The online tool shows one labeled meter with a colored mosquito icon describing the mosquito risk per day. For locations with low mosquito risk, the meter is partially filled and has a label that says "Low." Both the mosquito icon and the meter are colored green.

There are five different risk levels - low, medium, high, very high, and severe. Each level is assigned a color - green, yellow, orange, red, and dark red, respectively.

SC Johnson encourages website users to submit feedback and suggestions to improve the online tool for future improvements. The company guarantees that the online tool will remain free, accurate, and available at all times.

Read also: Techniques on Dealing With Wildfires May Help Mosquito Problem 

Accurate Weekly Updates

The mosquito forecast is updated daily as a result of accounting for over 15 billion individual weather data points, over 33 million data points for mosquito traps, and over 60 years of knowledge about mosquitoes.

With each of the three industry giants contributing their expertise, the online tool is accurate and supported by Ph.D. entomologists from SC Johnson, cloud technologists from Google, and Ph.D. earth scientists from Climate Engine.

Importance of the Mosquito Forecast

The development of the online tool is a product of the aspirations of all three collaborators, which are:

• To demonstrate the benefits of advanced analytics and mapping,
• To help people better understand the threat of mosquitos by leveraging accurate weather and climate data, and
• To contribute comprehensive mosquito research in developing a tool that protects consumers and their families.

The developers see the online tool as an essential part of planning everyday activities such as spending time in parks, gatherings, and travel. This way, people will be able to take precautions whenever necessary.

Read also: Scientists to Use Geoengineering to Lower Global Temperatures and Combat Malaria Spread