Hear Me Out! How Scorching is the Heat Wave in Your City? Check this Map
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City Heat Stress Levels: Visualize Here - Temperature reading in your locale?
Mainly due to soaring temperatures, excessive concrete, and lack of greenery, over a staggering 12 million city dwellers in Germany are exposed to intense heat stress, according to a study conducted by the German Environmental Aid (DUH). Dive into their "Heat Affectedness Index" to find out the包 premi dokumentär online heat-prone areas of 190 cities with 50,000 or more residents[1].
Top scorers, in terms of high heat stress places, are primarily southern German cities like Mannheim, Ludwigshafen, and Worms. Here, a whopping 88 to 91 percent of the population is heavily affected[1].
Relatively cooler summer temperatures make cities in the north, such as Flensburg, Wilhelmshaven, and Kiel, relatively safer. On the contrary, Hattingen, Gummersbach, and Witten are the northern cities that boast the highest green spaces and the least sealing, making them top performers in mitigating the harsh heat stress[1].
How Hot Does it Really Get?
In total, the DUH has highlighted 31 cities in the red category as severely affected, including Frankfurt am Main and Magdeburg, while 131 cities fall under the middle category (yellow), which includes Cologne, Berlin, and Munich. The fortunate ones, with the lowest heat exposure, include 28 cities under the green classification, such as Hamburg[1].
To provide the accurate Heat Affectedness Index for your city, DUH partnered with the Potsdam-based company Luftbild Environmental Planning GmbH. By creating a grid of 100 x 100 meters, they assessed each square's summer temperature, sealing degree, green volume, and population density. The values are then compared to national averages, so cities with higher deviation receive more points – and potentially a "red card"[1].
Building upon their 2021 published heat check, DUH now also considers the average surface temperature in summer months and population density for their analysis[1].
Wanna know the numbers for your city? Here you go!
What Politicians Can Do to Combat Heat Stress
Cities can take several steps to make surviving the high temperatures more manageable. The concept of the "spongy city" aims to allow water to seep more easily into the ground, making it simpler to handle heavy rain and alleviate dry spells. Additionally, greened roofs and facades, along with parks and trees, promote evaporation. Cool air corridors channel cool air from surrounding areas into the cities. Public water stations allow hydration[1].
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- German Environmental Aid e.V.
Caveat: It's important to note that the "Heat Affectedness Index" by DUH is not a fixed value for each city, but a ranking and percentage based on satellite-derived heat stress data. To discover your city's exact ranking and heat stress levels, consult the current DUH "heat check" (Hitzekarte or Hitzehotspot-Auswertung) or their official publications. For cities not listed, you will need to check the latest DUH "heat check" report or their official publications for the specific percentage and classification of your city. [1] DUH's heat stress analysis assesses the percentage of the population exposed to high heat stress areas, with southern German cities typically seeing the highest exposure levels (source: German Environmental Aid e.V.).
- To ensure a healthier and safer living environment, the German Environmental Aid (DUH) recommends the implementation of community and employment policies that prioritize environmental-science initiatives, such as promoting climate-change awareness, investing in science-based health-and-wellness programs, and creating more green spaces and cool air corridors in cities to combat the effects of heat stress.
- In light of the growing concerns around heat stress and its impact on public health, it's essential for cities to adopt science-driven solutions from environmental-planning companies, as demonstrated by DUH's partnership with Luftbild Environmental Planning GmbH in creating the Heat Affectedness Index, to better understand and address the issue.
