Where is the hottest place in Prague? Heat and heat are burning the metropolis
Every Prague and Czech person experiences firsthand how the years are getting warmer and the temperature fluctuations are becoming more and more extreme. The almost apocalyptic forecast for next week, when the temperatures in Prague and other places in the Czech Republic are supposed to be the same as in the Sahara, is sufficient as proof. Some experts predict that it could be over 40 degrees on Tuesday, July 19.
Where not to go in a steam room?
The map of temperatures in Prague from June 18 was recently published on his account on social networks by space scientist Michal Václavík, who also made it clearer. There are three main large and several smaller heat islands in Prague. Among the hottest places are Holešovice district, around the O2 arena towards Hloubětín a industrial host, the center of which is a multi-level traffic intersection near Europark.
Of the smaller thermal islands, it is worth mentioning Florenc, partly also the historic center, Praha-Smíchov, Nusle and Chodovská street. In the reddest parts of Prague, hot roofs and concrete can reach temperatures of up to around 45 degrees. On the contrary, it is coldest in Vltava or on large green spaces such as they are Vítkov hill, Olšanské hřbitovy, Hrdlořezy with the Smetanka Nature Park, Petrin Gardens, greenery around Slatinské brook and more.
The climate is getting worse
According to Michal Václavík, the results of the map are a reflection of the reality that perhaps everyone has already felt in their life in the city. “With increasing average temperature, number of sunny days, precipitation, this phenomenon will worsen,” Michal Václavík tells Bleska. According to him, the main responsibility lies especially with the people responsible for urban development planning, so that even this phenomenon, although it is nothing new, is taken into account in their work.
According to press spokesman Tadeáš Provazník, the municipality is preparing extensively for climate change in Prague. “First of all, it is important to mention that the capital has adopted several plans in recent years that specifically focus on climate change,” Tadeáš Provazník comments on the situation. This is, for example, the Climate Plan of the m of Prague by 2030 or the Adaptation Strategy of the capital m of Prague on climate change.
Green and blue, that’s good Prague
In order to mitigate the negative effects of climate change, the municipality wants to use green and blue infrastructure. “We also pay close attention to the proportion of vegetation elements and green areas in the built-up area, especially in the wider center of Prague, where the heat island effects are the highest,” says the spokesperson. The city is also trying to establish new parks or expand existing ones. More than 200 projects are planned between 2020 and 2024.
Weapons against the heat
“We take care of parks and greenery to a greater extent and plant new trees, and over the last four years, about half a million new trees have been planted in Prague,” adds Tadeáš Provazník. As examples, he cites the restoration of the tree line in Vinohradská Street in the section of Legerov and Jan Želivský, as well as the reconstruction of Wenceslas Square or the planting of trees in Stromovka. A common tool for reducing the effects of climate change is, among other things, the revitalization of orchards, courtyards and the construction of fountains and drinking fountains in the streets.
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Heat islands in Prague in June 2022.
Author: ECOSTRESS Science Team (NASA/JPL-Caltech)