Comprehensive compilation and quality assessment of street-level urban air temperature measurements across European networks

Abstract This study provides a comprehensive dataset (FAIRUrbTemp) that addresses the lack of high-resolution urban air temperature data across Europe. It compiles sub-hourly street-level air temperature data from 811 low-cost to commercial sensors across several European cities and offers data in a quality-controlled, standardized format in sub-hourly, hourly, and daily resolutions. In addition, detailed metadata, as an important source of information in urban studies, is provided at network, station, and measurement levels. This pan-European dataset is rigorously quality-controlled using a serially automatic method applicable to diverse city-scale air temperature data, which identifies systematic and minor inconsistencies to enhance reliability. Expert-based validation shows that the QC reliably identifies problematic measurements, while its performance varies across urban and climatic settings due to local environmental and instrumental effects. To ensure transparency, the results of the quality control are provided to the user together with the original value in the dataset. The validated FAIRUrbTemp is a valuable resource for urban climate studies, with direct applications in validating microclimate models, assessing heat-health risks, and informing climate-adaptive urban planning.