Temperatures are scorching across much of Europe. City dwellers are particularly affected due to the so-called "heat island" effect. Cities are adapting, but is this enough?

Urban areas across Europe are experiencing significantly higher temperatures than rural regions, a phenomenon known as the heat island effect. Scientists have observed that city surface temperatures can be up to 10 to 15 degrees higher during summer heatwaves, affecting nearly 40% of the EU population, with children and the elderly particularly vulnerable to health risks.

The heat island effect is primarily caused by materials like asphalt and concrete that absorb and retain heat. While adaptation strategies such as increasing urban greenery can help, experts emphasize that these measures are insufficient without broader efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Without tackling the root causes of global warming, experts warn that European cities could become increasingly unlivable.

'Heat island' effect: Will European cities become unlivable?

Countries across Europe are grappling with severe heatwaves. People living in urban areas are particularly badly hit. This is due to the heat island effect, the phenomenon where urban areas experience significantly higher temperatures than their rural counterparts during heatwaves. Scientists found surface temperatures in cities were sometimes up to 10 to 15 degrees higher than in their rural surroundings during summer. These figures are particularly stark given the sheer number of people subjected to these temperatures. Almost 40% of the EU's population lives in cities and this figure is only expected to rise in the coming years. Additionally, this phenomenon has a dire impact on people's health. People that are mostly affected are children and elderly people, elderly people that already have some kind of illnesses, for example, respiratory illnesses or cardiovascular illnesses, they are most affected by this heat. And certainly the urban heat island effect plays mostly at night, so when you don't cool down during the night, well, this also can have negative health effects. This heat island effect is mainly due to urban land use. Cities are made of asphalt and concrete, materials that absorb the intense solar radiation to which they are exposed. This heat is retained and then radiated after the sun sets, which is why temperatures cool down less. However, adaptation is possible. Solutions include making cities greener. Trees like these offer shade which helps people cool down. Trees also work as nature's air conditioner, taking water from the ground through their roots and then releasing it into the air as vapour. But adaptation only works locally and alone it isn't enough. As long as global warming will persist, we will see higher temperatures not only in cities but everywhere around the world. So indeed the urban heat island effect will also increase towards the future with additional climate change. So it's also important to reduce our emissions as fast as possible. The warning from experts is clear. Either tackle the root cause or face cities becoming unlivable.

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