Analysis of urban heat islands identifies neighborhoods that expose 41 million residents to significantly higher temperatures
PRINCETON, N.J., July 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As global temperatures climb, environmental factors in some city neighborhoods amplify heat even further, creating urban heat islands. A new Climate Central analysis of census tract-level data for 44 U.S. cities found that the urban heat island effect elevates local temperatures by at least eight degrees Fahrenheit in areas where 41 million people live, exposing residents to higher risks of heat-related illness and higher cooling costs.
- A new Climate Central analysis of census tract-level data for 44 U.S. cities found that the urban heat island effect elevates local temperatures by at least eight degrees Fahrenheit in areas where 41 million people live, exposing residents to higher risks of heat-related illness and higher cooling costs.
- In some neighborhoods, the urban heat island effect boosts temperatures by ten degrees Fahrenheit or more.
- Nine cities are home to at least one million people in urban heat islands where temperatures are elevated by at least eight degrees: New York (7.1 million), Houston (4.3 million), Los Angeles (3.3 million), Dallas (2.2 million), Chicago (2.1 million), San Antonio (1.5 million), San Diego (1.4 million), Phoenix (1.3 million), and Detroit (1.0 million).
- In some neighborhoods, the urban heat island effect boosts temperatures by ten degrees Fahrenheit or more, impacting more than ten-percent of residents in Chicago, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, DC.