TULSA, Okla. — On sweltering summer days, the focus is often on the afternoon high temperature and the maximum heat index. However, that does not tell the whole story, especially if you live in or around a city like Tulsa. That is because a more urban environment does not cool as readily at night. It's aptly called the urban heat island effect.
The sun may evenly heat a region from above. However, that incoming solar radiation will be absorbed at different rates based on the type of surface it hits. According to the EPA, human-made materials in cities like pavement or roofing tend to reflect less solar energy. Therefore, urban environments absorb and retain more heat beyond daytime hours than trees, vegetation, and other natural elements, which are more plentiful in rural areas.
WATCH: How the Urban Heat Island Effect keeps the Tulsa area hotter in summer
These widespread metal and concrete surfaces in a city release heat back into the air at night. That means as the sun sets, the nightly cooling trend is counteracted by the heat release, which means it will stay much warmer overnight and into the early morning hours in a city or just downwind of one.
This is why Tulsa has not even dipped below 80° the past few mornings while surrounding small communities have been much cooler. In fact, as the metropolitan area has grown, record warm overnight temperatures have also become more frequent in the past few decades, which is a reason the City of Tulsa continues to add trees and vegetation to limit the heat island effect.
Prolonged heat stress from stifling days into very muggy nights can be detrimental, if not deadly, to vulnerable people without access to reliable air-conditioning. This is why it is essential to check on them and pets around the clock in peak summer heat, especially in urban environments.
For a look at just how hot it will be around Tulsa in the coming days, click here.
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