Table 1 Sources, spatial and temporal resolution of model predictors and population data

Land surface temperature (LST)

MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer

2009-2010

1 × 1 km²

for day and night

(MODIS) http://reverb.echo.nasa.gov/reverb

Normalized difference vegetation index

MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer

2009-2010

0.25 × 0.25 km²

(NDVI)

(MODIS) http://reverb.echo.nasa.gov/reverb

Rainfall

Africa Data Disseminating Services

2009-2010

8 × 8 km²

http://earlywarning.usgs.gov/fews/

Digital elevation model (Altitude)

Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission(SRTM)

2000

1 × 1 km²

http://glcfapp.glcf.umd.edu/data/srtm/

Urban rural extent

Global Rural and Urban Mapping Project

na

1 × 1 km²

http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/data/set/grump-v1-population/data-download

Permanent water bodies

Health mapper

na

1 × 1 km²

Human population density grid

http://www.worldpop.org.uk/data/

2010

100 ×100 m²