The phenomenon of city centers warming more than outlying areas, known as the urban heat island effect, appears to have become more widespread in Taipei, an expert said.
In Taipei Basin, higher temperatures are commonly observed in Wanhua (萬華) and Zhongzheng (中正) districts in the heart of the city, but recently Wenshan (文山), Nangang (南港) and Shilin (士林) districts have also started to become warmer, said Lin Tzu-ping (林子平), an architecture professor at National Cheng Kung University.
This indicates that the high temperatures that were previously limited to the city center are expanding into more areas, Lin said.
Photo: CNA
On July 24, 2020, Taipei recorded a 124-year high of 39.7°C, but the temperature in Nangang was about 3°C cooler than in Wanhua, he said.
Although such extreme temperatures had not yet been recorded this year, those in Nangang were about on par with those in Wanhua, he added.
In addition, although Xinyi (信義) District is not in the central area of the basin, it is home to many office buildings where the use of air-conditioning is increasing, indicating that temperatures are relatively high in the district, he said.
With the support of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Lin established a team that is working to develop methods to cool cities, an effort that requires making climate maps to monitor the temperatures of five metropolitan areas: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung.
Data compiled by the team showed that at 1pm on July 8, temperatures in Wanhua and Zhongzheng rose to as high as 38.5°C, while the temperature recorded in the area surrounding Daan Forest Park was about 2°C lower, which Lin said was an indicator of the urban heat island effect.
Elevated temperatures arising from the phenomenon can affect an area’s environment and quality of life in multiple ways, including by increasing electricity use, air pollution levels and heat-related illnesses.
To improve the situation, Lin has been promoting the concept of “giving way to winds” for many years, which calls for integrating wind ventilation corridors into urban planning.
However, this is a long-term policy that requires significant urban planning to fulfill, he said.
In the short term, adding more trees to create shady areas is an important first step, he said.
Other methods to reduce the effect of urban heat islands include using solar panels or “green roofs” on buildings, he added.
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