HOUSTON, Texas (KIAH) – A heat island is an area that gives off and absorbs more heat than the surrounding areas. Places with lots of buildings, streets, and little vegetation add to this thing we call urban heat. With that being said, not all places within Houston heat up the same. So where does your neighborhood stack up on this hot scale?
Check out the results of the study HERE:
A one-day heat mapping campaign spanning 320 square miles measured a 17-degree difference in afternoon temperatures across Houston. On the day of the study. The highest temperature (103.3°F) was measured southwest of the Galleria, just north of Gulfton. The darker reds you see near us here at cw39 represent some of the hottest temperatures recorded that day.
Out for a run? Memorial park was one of the cooler locations on the map. As for downtown… one can imagine why their temperatures are so elevated. Lots of tall buildings, lots of concrete, and little green space. Over in the Heights, communities are not as vulnerable to high AC bills as they tracked some of our lower temperatures in town.
The lowest Temperature of the study was measured in Channelview.
What can we do with the information from this study?
Now we can better Understand what conditions people are experiencing and what communities are most at risk.
This shows what parts of town will most benefit from tree planting events, new shaded structures, and cooling centers.
Having resources is important but knowing where to put them can be vital during a heat wave.
