5 City Area In Malaysia has Got Hotter Due to Development and Changing Urban Trends
With the recent temperature sorching high recently between higher temperatures of between 1.64° Celsius and 6.75° Celsius over the last few decades due to development and changing urban trends, a land temperature study by Think City showed.
However, the surface temperature in Kuala Lumpur city centre has the lowest increase in temperature compare to Bayan Lepas and George Town in Penang, Ipoh in Perak and Johor Bahru in Johor. The peak temperature increase of only 1.64°C in Kuala Lumpur city centre over a 30-year period between December 1989 and October 2019 was attributed to the efficiency of domestic gardens, parks and woodlands in the city.
Ipoh recorded a peak temperature increase of 6.75°C within a 21-year period between November 1998 and March 2019, the highest temperature increase among the five cities studied. Johor Baru (JB) recorded a peak temperature increase of 6.70°C within a shorter period compared to the other cities, at a 13-year period between May 2005 and May 2018.
According to Think City, the rise in temperature areas has been linked primarily to the urban heat island effect (UHI) and lack of greenery. Think City Managing Director Hamdan Abdul Majeed said that the key aim of the temperature mapping was to get a snapshot of what cities were undergoing and to find solutions to battle the effects of climate change.