Cities are becoming too hot for trees

According to a new study, climate change is threatening the health and survival of trees grown in urban areas to keep them cool, with more than half of the species already feeling the heat.

If you spent your summer in a city, likelihood is you were forced to endure intense, record-breaking heatwaves throughout July.

What you may not have been aware of is that, without trees, our efforts to stay inside and escape 40 degree temperatures would have been even more difficult.

This is because trees have a significantly positive impact on air quality and climate regulation in built-up areas that are otherwise typically devoid of vegetation.

How so, you may be wondering? For starters, the water vapour released through leaves produces a cooling effect that can reduce air conditioning needs by 30 per cent.

In addition, shaded areas created by trees provide twelve degree heat relief. Trees also promote cleaner air in densely populated boroughs where traffic flow is high and can (most importantly) lessen the blow of localised warming from concrete by twenty degrees.