The UpStories team, in collaboration with meteo.gr, conducted drone flights over areas of Athens using a thermal camera on Friday, June 25, 2021, to map areas that contribute to the urban heat island effect.
In the video, you will see some footage from Syngrou Avenue and the areas between Fix and Amfithea. The highest surface temperatures recorded by the thermal camera were 72°C, with the pavement temperature on Syngrou Avenue in Fix reaching 47°C and in the Amfithea area reaching 44°C, while at the same time, according to the meteorological stations of the National Observatory of Athens/meteo.gr, the air temperature was 37°C near the center of Athens and 31°C in the coastal areas. The highest temperatures were recorded on low-traffic streets and on the roofs of old buildings with air conditioning units.
From the data collected, it is easy to see the great importance of using cool materials in the construction of buildings and pavements in the city, which contribute to reducing heat emissions into the air near the ground, and can therefore limit the urban heat island effect.
