Europe (Washington Insider Magazine) – It’s not just about comfort. Heat is a factor of health and quality of life. It is not easy to determine which area is most affected when a wave of heat and humidity hits New York, since urban temperatures depend on many physical, geographic, and socioeconomic factors.
It is not easy to determine which is the most affected area when a wave of heat and humidity arrives in New York, since the urban temperature depends on many factors: asphalt, skyscrapers, wind, trees, proximity to the river or the sea, road traffic, type of of buildings and population density, among others.
The South Bronx has been identified as one of the hottest neighborhoods. “Due to the high concentration of concrete, buildings, and vehicles, the South Bronx has been scientifically proven to experience higher temperatures than other areas of New York City,” according to Pix11.
That neighborhood also has some of the worst air quality and highest asthma rates in the country. Bronx President Vanessa Gibson has said she is pushing for more trees to be planted because “they have the ability to not only create shade, but also reduce asthma rates and really deliver health and wellness at a lower cost.” very holistic approach that New Yorkers need.” In her favor, this county has the largest park in the city to the northeast: Pelham Bay Park, three times the size of the famous Central Park.
In Manhattan, the high concentration of tourists and road traffic in Midtown, where there are practically no trees or coastline and many tall buildings, give it a special place when it comes to sweating.
Other areas in Queens and Brooklyn also suffer from a lack of trees and shoreline, but have far less tall buildings, foot and road traffic than Manhattan. In general, neighbors to gas stations, freeways, and JFK and LaGuardia airports are also disadvantaged by higher temperatures and poor air quality, in addition to noise. But if you are near the beach, the breeze can be a relief. In it, Staten Island leads.
Those who live near the Hudson or East River or large green areas such as Central Park, Forest Park, Riverside, Flushing Meadows–Corona, and Prospect Park may enjoy cooler temperatures. In Brooklyn, Fort Greene and Clinton Hill are considered “cool” areas, as are Kew Gardens and Forest Hills in Queens.
“Thanks to what researchers call the ‘heat island effect,’ when too much concrete and too little shade combine to raise temperatures, some neighborhoods will get hotter than others,” Bloomberg News said. . “Parts of Midtown, for example, are on average 1-2 degrees F warmer than the financial district (…) The densely populated parts of Queens are also very hot, but heat island effects are lessened in the more wooded parts and suburban district.
It’s not just about comfort. Heat is a factor of health and quality of life. “More New Yorkers are dying from extreme heat than from any other type of weather event, with black residents dying at twice the rate of whites, with older people particularly vulnerable,” The New York Times warned earlier this month. month.
The most basic solution is to generate “shades” that protect from the sun. For this, measures have been applied throughout New York, some by personal initiatives in homes and others by private companies and the municipal government.
Weather updates can be found here and on the National Weather Service (NWS-NY) website. More details here about the forecast in New York and Jersey counties and on this NBC News Weather page.
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