Over half of D.C. students go to school in an extreme urban heat zone, per a new analysis.
Why it matters: The heat island effect can make some neighborhoods notably warmer than others, especially during heat waves like the one this week.
Sometimes schools lack adequate air conditioning, jeopardizing students' health and learning abilities in periods of extreme heat while class is in session.
Driving the news: About 76% of public K-12 students in the 65 most populous U.S. cities attend schools where the heat island effect increases temperatures by at least 8°F, per a new analysis from Climate Central, a climate research group.
The share is 54% in D.C., which is better than most cities, or nearly 49,500 students.
Boston (36%), Providence, Rhode Island (42%) and Richmond, Virginia (49%) have the smallest shares.
How it works: Heat islands amplify the impact and danger of extreme heat events fueled by human-driven climate change, with the built environment absorbing and trapping heat at the hyperlocal level.
Urban heat islands are more common in lower-income and non-white neighborhoods, researchers have found.
What we're watching: Cities are increasingly aware of heat islands, and some are taking steps to alleviate it — by planting trees and using reflective road paint, for example — albeit with mixed results.