Why #nighttime#heat can be so dangerous and why it’s getting worse
On average, nights are warming faster than days in most of the United States, a national climate assessment found.
By Rachel Ramirez, CNN, Jun 30, 2023
"Summers are getting hotter than ever, shattering all-time high temperature records, straining the energy grid and damaging critical infrastructure.
"#HeatWaves also are coming to include another increasingly dangerous element: overnight temperatures that don’t cool down enough to offer sufficient reprieve from stifling heat, particularly for people without access to #AirConditioning.
“'Most people don’t realize that hot nighttime temperatures have been outpacing daytime temperature increases across most populated regions worldwide in recent decades,' Columbia University’s Data Science Institute postdoctoral research scientist Kelton Minor told CNN.
“'We think it’s because as the days grow warmer, there is more moisture in the air that traps the heat,' the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health’s executive director, Lisa Patel, told CNN. 'During the day, that moisture reflects the heat, but at night, it traps the heat in.'
#Increasing nighttime heat is even more common in #cities because of the #UrbanHeatIsland effect, in which #metro areas are significantly hotter than their surroundings.
"Places with a lot of #asphalt, #concrete, buildings and #freeways absorb more of the sun’s heat than areas with ample #parks, #rivers and #tree-lined streets. At night, when temperatures are supposed to cool down, the retained heat is released back into the air, said University of Washington climate and health expert Kristie Ebi.
"Areas with a lot of #GreenSpace – with grass and trees that reflect sunlight and create shade – are cooler on summer’s hottest days, she said.
“'Many cities put together #CoolingShelters, but people have to know where they are, how to get to them and what hours they operate,' Ebi told CNN, noting city officials must rethink #UrbanPlanning to consider #ClimateChange."
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