Assessing temperature-related deaths in urban heat islands

Cities having higher ambient temperatures than rural surroundings (known as the urban heat island effect) could offset some of the negative effects of increased heat-related mortality by reducing the number of deaths associated with cold exposure in some global cities, according to a study in Nature Climate Change.

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These findings highlight the importance of developing regionand season-specific strategies to mitigate the urban heat island effect. The urban heat island effect contributes to an increase in human heat exposure and subsequent death globally during hotter seasons. However, this phenomenon could also impact the rate of cold-related deaths in cooler conditions. This dual impact could vary across regions and seasons, but previous research has often focused on the effect at the local scale. In the context of climate change and rapid urbanisation, it is important to understand the broader impact of the urban heat island effect on