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Striking recent urban heat island


Last weekend provided a nice example of the conditions needed for an Urban Heat Island to develop. On a clear calm night (23/24 April 2015) temperatures at rural Sonning Common fell to 1⁰C, whereas the minimum 7km away in Reading city centre was 7⁰C, an urban heat island (UHI) effect of 6⁰C. The next night (24/25 April) was cloudy and windy; rural minimum temperatures were some 10 degC warmer than previous night, with a UHI effect of only about 1⁰C.

You can find some idea about how to use WOW data with a class to study local Urban Heat Islands here.

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Teaching resources

Primary
Upper primary lesson plan package developed with the Young People’s Trust for the Environment
Secondary Science
Climate based Physics Practice Questions for secondary and university level students
Secondary Maths
Climate-based questions for students and teachers. A team of students and academics at the University of Oxford developed these Maths for Planet Earth questions.