Copenhagen experiences higher temperatures due to urban heat island effect

A new report from the National Center for Climate Research at the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) highlights the significant impact of the urban heat island effect. In cities like Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg, and Odense, infrastructure such as asphalt and buildings absorbs heat during the day and releases it slowly at night. This prevents cities from cooling down as effectively as rural areas, with nighttime temperature differences averaging two degrees and reaching over three degrees in some locations.

Tyra Grove Krause, technical director at the Statens Serum Institut, warned that the lack of nighttime cooling can have fatal consequences for human health. Heat stress affects the circulatory system and the body's fluid and salt balance, posing particular risks to the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions.

Regarding the broader European context, the EuroMOMO monitoring system estimated approximately 36,000 excess deaths across participating countries during the recent extreme heatwave, with particularly high mortality rates in Belgium, Germany, and France.