Jake Bittle & Naveena Sadasivam – 5 October 2023
This story was co-published with Gizmodo. It is also part of Record High, a Grist series examining extreme heat and its impact on how — and where — we live.
Cities are hot. When you cover the ground with asphalt and concrete, jam millions of cars together on congested streets, and erect thousands of buildings that leak their own heat, you create what experts call an “urban heat island.” Daytime temperatures in these places can be as much as 7 degrees Fahrenheit higher than surrounding rural areas, and things don’t get much cooler at night…