Urban heat islands: A double-edged sword for city dwellers' survival

Urban heat islands: A double-edged sword for city dwellers' survival

Cities having higher ambient temperatures than rural surroundings (known as the urban heat island effect) could offset some of the negative effects of increased heat-related mortality by reducing the number of deaths associated with cold exposure in some global cities, according to a study in Nature Climate Change. These findings highlight the importance of developing region- and season-specific strategies to mitigate the urban heat island effec…

Cities with higher ambient temperatures than the rural environment (known as the urban effect of the heat island) could offset some of the negative effects of increased heat-related mortality by reducing the number of deaths associated with cold exposure in some global cities, according to a [...]

expert reaction to study assessing temperature-related deaths in urban heat islands

A study published in Nature Climate Change assesses temperature-related deaths in urban heat islands.   Dr Chloe Brimicombe, Climate Scientist and Extreme Heat Impact Researcher, University of London, The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: “The paper shows how urban greening (maintaining parks and planting trees) and cool roofs, painting roofs white are intervention which reduces the rise in heat in cities and are associated w…

Urban heat islands: Bad when it's hot, lifesaving when it's cold

Urban heat islands might be bad when it's hot but when it's cold they could save lives, according to Aussie and International researchers. The team looked at over 3000 cities around the world and found that although urban heat islands might contribute to heat-related deaths in hot cities, they may contribute to a far more significant reduction in cold-related deaths in cold cities. The urban heat island effect is the phenomenon where cities have…