More than 40 million people living in major U.S. cities experience the “heat island” effect, in which urban areas absorb more heat than surrounding areas, according to a new climate study.
The “Urban Heat Hot Spots” analysis, published by Climate Central on Wednesday, found 41 million people across 44 cities live in areas with an urban heat island index of at least 8 extra degrees, which were likely worsened by the recent heat waves. The 41 million accounts for about 55% of the 74 million people included in the study.Overall, 80% of the U.S. population lives in cities.
Of the 44 cities, nine have at least 1 million people experiencing a UHI index of 8 degrees or more, meaning they feel higher temperatures due to the artificial environment. In order of highest to lowest temperatures, these cities were New York, Houston, Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, San Antonio, San Diego, Phoenix, and Detroit.
Additionally, New York had the highest average UHI index per capita at 9.5 degrees, and Wichita had the lowest at 7.2 degrees. The analysis recommended city dwellers plant trees along streets, build rooftop gardens, and install cool roofs and cool pavements to help reduce local heat islands in the long term.These findings come when millions of people are facing intense heat waves, with the United States reaching record-breaking temperatures last week. Other areas of the globe, including parts of Europe and Asia, are also experiencing record heat this summer.
The Climate Central study’s UHI index calculations were based on several factors, such as population density, the percentage of green space in the cities and albedo, and the proportion of solar energy that surfaces reflect.
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