NEWSWEEK:
JAPAN HEAT WAVE OFFICIALLY DECLARED A NATURAL DISASTER WITH 85 DEAD AND MORE THAN 22,000 HOSPITALIZED
Surprise: Cold wave reveals potential benefits of urban heat islands
From the PRINCETON UNIVERSITY, ENGINEERING SCHOOL and the “UHI is good for something” department. Still, it’s not a good place to measure climate change.
The concrete and asphalt that make city summers brutally hot might not be a bad thing during winter’s deep freeze.
Researchers from Princeton University have found that the urban heat island effect — cities are hotter in the summer than their surrounding areas — also helps keep cities warmer during extreme cold. The findings have implications for urban planners in areas such as New York City or Chicago, which experience marked seasonal temperature swings.
