Climate Change: Heat Waves May Hit Cities the Hardest as Heat Islands

First Posted: Sep 28, 2015 08:17 PM EDT

It turns out that heat waves just may hit heat islands the hardest. Scientists have found that as the planet warms with climate changes, cities will be hit especially hard by the heat.

Heat islands tend to be the most densely populated areas of a city. This means that as the chances of a heat wave rise, many city-dwellers could face more uncomfortable summers, increased health risks, and potentially higher bills from air conditioning.

"Not only do heat waves intensify the urban heat island, but the heat island also intensifies the heat wave, which is pretty much the opposite of what you'd want," said Jason Schatz, one of the researchers, in a news release.

In 2012, a heat wave struck Wisconsin's capital city, Madison. In addition, the polar vortex hit the same city, which caused the coldest winter in 35 years.

Using data from the 150 sensors installed in and around Madison, the researchers found that urban areas experienced up to twice as many hours over 90 degrees Fahrenheit than rural areas during the 2012 heat wave. In addition, the densest urban areas also spent over four consecutive nights in temperatures above 80.

"Cities are where most people will encounter future warming, and projections are underestimating the amount of heat urban communities need to prepare for," said Schatz.

The findings reveal that as temperatures warm, cities may be in for some scorchers. However, cities may also experience milder temperatures in the winter when temperatures plummet below zero.

The findings are published in the journal Environmental Research Letters.

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TagsPlanet, Heat, Climate Change, Climate, City, Temperatures, Temperature, Weather, Heat Wave