Measuring Urban Heat Islands with Wicked Hot Mystic
Summer heat waves actually harm and kill more people than any other climate risk. As climate change makes Greater Boston’s summers hotter, people who live in heavily developed areas, lack air conditioning, and are socially isolated are most at risk of heat-related harm.
Source: Jose Moreno, Philadephia Inquirer
In September 2020, the State MVP program awarded the RMC an $186,200 grant to develop a watershed-wide map of day- and night-time “real feel” ground-level heat and humidity. In August 2021, 80 volunteers gathered these data over 25 hours of a heatwave.
Source: Daria Clark
CAPA Strategies, the Boston Museum of Science, and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council created “Wicked Hot Mystic" heat maps that help us prioritize where and how nature-based solutions can be used to reduce extreme summertime heat.
Source: MAPC