"Urban Heat Is Getting More Dangerous"

"Exposure to extreme heat in cities has tripled since the 1980s, putting more people in harm's way."

"Urban heat is more dangerous—and even deadly—than ever. That’s true for two reasons: Globally, more people are flocking to cities, and cities themselves are getting hotter due to the climate crisis.

Those are the findings of a new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Monday. In it, researchers examined heat exposure in 13,115 global cities from 1983 to 2016. The findings are a warning to cities as the climate crisis turns up the heat even further.

To first determine how hot and humid these cities are getting, the researchers examined temperatures using a data set that combines infrared satellite imagery and readings from thousands of weather stations. That helped provide widespread coverage, including areas with more sparse on-the-ground sensors."

Dharna Noor reports for Earther October 4, 2021.

Source: Earther, 10/05/2021