The daily weather is an aspect of our environmental condition that plays a vital part in how society functions. It influences and impacts us significantly as individuals and collectively as a whole.
However, it is also often overlooked and seen as a mere determinant of how to prepare for the day or just an unpredictable event. For example, most people dread consecutive rainy days, seeing them only as a nuisance to their regular routine, failing to recognize the unusual likelihood of the phenomenon in certain seasons.
Aside from affecting what citizens do in a day, the weather is also a critical element that reflects the city’s state and its inhabitants. Fortunately, experts have perfected methods to maximize the information given by climate conditions to help determine an area’s current disposition.
One way to keep track of a city’s environmental activity and impact is by recording the monthly average temperature. Most municipalities have well-exposed thermometers to monitor their weather activities. They do so because the numbers tell a great deal about their environmental health and how to go about it. So, what does it determine exactly? Well, a multitude of valuable insights which we will discuss here.
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The Heat Island Effect
Generally, cities already have an average of what their usual, healthy weather looks like. However, continuous factors that slowly inflict permanent damage can dramatically change the regular numbers. The heat island effect is one of the unfortunate consequences of environmentally unhealthy cities.
During this phenomenon, daytime temperatures can experience a drastic increase of one to seven degrees Fahrenheit, even in surrounding rural areas. It is due to the absorption and emission of heat from the materials that make up the infrastructures present within.
The heat island effect is also especially popular in global cities, the most urbanized areas. The average monthly temperatures in these places also share a commonality. Their isolated perimeters are higher in climate in relation to the surrounding locales. Not only that, it does not just apply to daytime conditions but to nighttime as well.
Lack Of Natural Resources
It is well-known how much the presence and abundance of natural elements impact our climate. However, most tend to forget that it happens in small-scale scenarios first before reaching global levels.
Cities are highly-urbanized areas, often described as “concrete jungles,” and rightfully so. In the place of tall, majestic trees bearing striking greenery, most of the things that will fill our eyeline are tall, gray slabs of cement forming buildings. Admittedly, these structures are needed to fulfill several aspects, such as institutions, businesses, and companies. However, the rapid rise of these establishments didn’t allow for them to be ecosystem-friendly. As a result, busy cities are one of the places that experience the most drastic changes in average monthly temperatures.
Without a healthy amount of natural resources in cities, aside from the standard trees and bushes used for aesthetic purposes, these places experience an extreme fluctuation in heat. As a result, areas with average monthly temperatures that deviate from their standard number for that season usually tell of a lack of greenery. While a city that emulates consistent temperatures, which might sometimes even be cooler than their norm, has better ecosystems.
Air Quality
The constant emission of carbon monoxide, the abundance of smokers, and devices that release chlorofluorocarbons are what makes up most cities. These harmful gasses contribute to global warming, but first, they directly impact their close surroundings.
Air quality and average temperature share a mutual relationship where both affect each other. For example, places like global cities experience warmer weather due to their conditions, and the heat directly makes air pollution worse. However, it also arises because of the harsher climate. Differences in air density especially influence how sunlight is absorbed and reflected. Fortunately, humidity can minimize the harmful effects during the occasional storms in the rainy season. So, the average monthly temperature by global city usually indicates poor air quality as a result of air pollution.
Improper Disposal Methods
In addition to the dangerous gas emissions that harbor most cities, improper disposal of trash and other substances also impacts the monthly average temperature. Most urbanized areas are notorious for detrimental disposing practices, and they continue to neglect the importance of maintaining an eco-friendly society. Thus, the consequences of their actions most often come in the form of undesirable weather conditions.
A city’s monthly average temperature tells whether it has implemented healthy disposal methods. Given that these areas are full of companies, factories, and corporations that continuously produce and discard numerous substances, it is crucial to be cautious. Consequently, the tendency for these waste products to pile up, even in isolated places, is high. Additionally, the combination of unknown harmful chemicals and products can emit greenhouse gasses in high concentrations as well as impact nearby natural resources. As a result, warmer climates and unpredictable weather occur in these territories.
City Dwellers Lifestyles
Finally, all of these telltale signs of what a city’s environmental health is like lie mainly on the shoulders of the city dwellers. We are responsible for all of the activity that goes on in our urban residences, and whether we are wary of it or not, every one of our actions has a direct effect on our surroundings. But unfortunately, the busyness of the lifestyles of those in bustling areas might hinder the majority of citizens from paying attention to the abnormalities and changes in weather patterns.
While average monthly temperatures of cities are regularly hotter than in rural areas, there are instances where they are incredibly deviant of ordinary numbers. The anomaly indicates an unhealthy environment that is the result of the accumulation of non-eco-friendly practices.
Considering all of these, it is time for larger groups and local governments to start installing systems and regulations that benefit the community instead of harming it. Fortunately, keeping track of a locale’s monthly average temperature is an excellent way to monitor and be wary of a city’s conditions. Hopefully, officials and professionals will note the valuable information and respond accordingly.
