As temperatures rise and several parts of the country experience intense heat waves, cities emerge as hotspots of scorching weather. The temperature, however, surpasses rural areas by significant margins. This stark urban-rural temperature divide is not coincidental, but rather the result of a well-known phenomenon known as the “urban heat island.”
But why does this happen? In large cities, various sources like human activities, transportation, and industrial processes generate significant amounts of energy, contributing to heat production. The close proximity of buildings, shops, and factories creates an insulating effect that traps this heat.
As a result, the energy released by people, vehicles, and industries gets confined within densely populated urban areas. Additionally, the vertical expansion of urban landscapes with skyscrapers further adds to the accumulation of waste heat. Surfaces like buildings, sidewalks, and parking lots hinder the escape of ground heat into the cooler night sky, thereby maintaining higher nighttime temperatures.
Urban heat islands can impact both the environment and human health. The cities experiencing the phenomenon have worse air quality.
