This summer, a local scientist's plan for improving the forecasting of potentially deadly hot and humid weather is being tested in one of the steamiest cities in the country - New Orleans. The test program is based on the research of Dr. Laurence Kalkstein, associate director of the Center for Climatic Research at the University of Delaware.

Heat and humidity are nothing new to New Orleans - moist tropical air covers the city most of the time from May to September. But Dr. Kalkstein has identified the rarest super-muggy air masses that historically have led to increased summer mortality. He's applied his findings to help National Weather Service forecasters in New Orleans better identify well in advance when a potentially deadly heat wave may occur. The goal of this more proactive approach is to create a reliable early warning system for emergency managers, the healthcare community, and the public.

Projects similar to the one going on this summer in New Orleans have already been conducted in several other cities across the globe, including Philadelphia, Rome and Shanghai.