There was a 16.3 °C temperature difference between different areas of Cape Town during a heatwave, a study has found. (Chuchart Duangdaw/Getty Images).
On Cape Town’s hottest days, there is a 16.3°C difference in the ground air temperature measured in different parts of the city – with built-up CBD and industrial areas the hardest hit.
This was the finding of a multi-stakeholder citizen science study which included the City of Cape Town, the World Bank and community organisations.
On a scorching February day, nine teams of data collectors drove over a 200m2 area of Cape Town with temperature measuring devices attached to their vehicles. The routes were repeated in the morning, afternoon and evening.
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