Ask people where heatwaves hit hardest and most will probably say cities, which trap heat in concrete and metal and generate warmth from traffic and industry.
But does this reflect reality?
I am a scientist who studies climate extremes and health, and was part of a team that set out to answer that question properly. We took 10 of the most widely used global climate models, adjusted them to better reflect real-world observed conditions, and then used them to project heatwave exposure for rural and urban populations globally.
