According to a study on environmental analysis, large cities around the world are up to 29% more susceptible to heat waves than the rural areas nearby since these metropolis’ temperatures are rising by half a degree Celsius every ten years.
Based on the results of satellite data analysis, the study—which was published today, Sunday, in the journal “Nature”—showed that climate change and urban growth speed up the process of urban warming, with the effect of surface warming in European cities being reduced by 0.13°C every ten years by planting trees and increasing vegetation cover.
She emphasised that because of the urban heat island phenomenon, which refers to the rise in temperatures in large cities, cities are particularly vulnerable to extreme heat waves. This phenomenon is brought on by urban development in cities and energy use, which can result in air temperatures rising by 2 to 6 degrees Celsius.
The study, which was carried out in collaboration between the Chinese University of Nanjing and British and Brazilian universities, revealed that the analysis of satellite-transmitted data covered more than 2,000 major cities worldwide between 2002 and 2021, highlighting the fact that large cities, like Beijing, Moscow, Abuja, Phoenix, and Sao Paulo in Brazil and the US states of Arizona and Arizona are experiencing rising temperatures more quickly than other cities.
Climate change is the primary source of rising urban temperatures and an average worldwide warming of 0.30 degrees Celsius, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency, which also notes that temperatures in US cities can be ten degrees Fahrenheit higher than those in the surrounding areas.
Environmental study: Every ten years, cities are 29% more susceptible to heat waves than rural areas.
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