Heat Stress in Rotterdam


Rotterdam’s ambition is to be 100% climate-resilient by 2025. Towards this end, the project “Heat Stress in Rotterdam” project was carried out within the framework of the Knowledge for Climate research programme.

Key questions in this study were:

  1. To what extent is there an urban heat island effect in Rotterdam and what parts of the city are most vulnerable?
  2. To what extent is the problem getting worse as a result of climate change?
  3. To what extent does a potential urban heat island lead to heat stress and what are the most vulnerable groups?
  4. What are the causes and causers of the urban heat island?
  5. What measures can be taken?

Results

Satellite images, measurements taken by mobile and stationary weather stations, and model calculations show that Rotterdam has an urban heat island during the summer months. During windless nights, the temperature difference between urban and rural areas can be as much as 8 degrees. This is comparable to figures for urban heat islands in other large (foreign) cities.


Results appeared on
Project type
Study
Participant
Municipality of Rotterdam
Scale
Region
Theme
Heat
Type of project
Research
Phase
Completed