Letting the wind flow freely is the secret to cooling our cities
Urbanisation and tall buildings create 'wind shadows' that disrupt natural wind flow and exacerbate urban heat islands. Slower winds limit evaporation and trap heat, leading to higher humidity and heat stress. Experts suggest that improving urban green cover, designing buildings with wind corridors, and integrating climate considerations into city planning can help restore natural airflow and combat rising urban temperatures.
- Slower winds near the ground increase humidity and heat stress by limiting moisture evaporation.
- Rapid urbanisation and tall buildings act as physical barriers, creating a wind shadow effect that reduces surface wind speeds.
- Terrestrial stilling, or the global decline in wind speeds since the 1980s, worsens urban warming.
Exam Points
- Wind speeds near the ground have been dropping globally in a phenomenon called terrestrial stilling since the 1980s.
- Amruthraj M.N. from the Sustainable Energy Lab at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, highlighted that surface wind speeds typically around 10 m from the floor have dropped over a few decades.
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