

Summers in the City: The Urban Heat Island


On a particularly hot day, when even the air conditioning can’t seem to keep you from breaking a sweat, your best bet may be to get out of the city. On hot days, air temperatures in a city can be as much as 22°F (12°C) hotter than the air in nearby, less developed areas. Scientists have come to call this the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect.