Tropical Urban Heat Amplification: A Rising Concern in a Warming World
A recent study reveals that medium-sized tropical cities could experience faster warming compared to their rural counterparts under 2°C global warming, raising health risks. Researchers used climate change projections and machine learning to analyze temperature increases, particularly in countries like India and China.
- Country:
- India
Tropical cities, including those in regions like India, are projected to experience a faster increase in temperatures compared to surrounding areas when the global temperature rises by 2 degrees Celsius. This finding illustrates potential heightened heat-related health risks for urban populations, according to a study led by researchers from the University of East Anglia in the UK.
The study investigated 104 medium-sized cities, revealing that land surface temperatures in 81% of these cities would rise more than those in rural areas. Dr. Sarah Berk, a leading author, highlighted the limitations of global climate models in predicting temperature changes in smaller cities and emphasized the need for more focused approaches.
The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), underscores concerns about urban heat stress, especially in tropical and subtropical areas. These regions, primarily in India, China, and Western Africa, see cities becoming urban heat islands, amplifying the risks posed by climate change.
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