Urban microclimates can turn deadly as climate crisis deepens

Tall, dense buildings in towns can trap heat and raise temperatures, and also amplify gusts of wind Microclimates are best known to gardeners, for example semi-tropical collections on the west coast of Britain where the warm Gulf Stream waters keep certain favoured spots frost-free and allow cultivation of Mediterranean and some tropical plants.But as the climate crisis progresses, other less benign microclimates can become killers. Tall buildings and other dense housing being built in British towns can trap the heat and raise temperatures more than 2C at night, pushing them into a danger zone. This is not some theoretical future hazard: 20,000 people died as a result of last summer's heatwave in western Europe, mostly in cities. Continue reading...