The Municipality of Nicosia, in collaboration with the CYENS Centre of Excellence and the Cyprus Institute, has presented the results of the CLIMAAX-NIC project, under which an artificial intelligence tool was developed to map urban heat at neighbourhood level.
According to a statement, the tool will enable the municipality to better target greening, shading and public space improvement projects, strengthening Nicosia's resilience to the impacts of climate change.
The data was collected during the summer of 2025, in August and September, the two hottest months of the year, using specialised monitoring equipment mounted on the roofs of municipal vehicles.
Public health impact
The study found that during the extreme heatwave of 9–11 August 2025, when temperatures exceeded 42C, the temperature difference between urban and rural areas almost disappeared.
"The reason is that rural areas also become extremely hot, as the entire landscape heats up uniformly," the statement said.
It warned that this has serious implications for public health, as early warning systems based solely on urban-rural temperature differences or city temperature thresholds may underestimate the risks faced by vulnerable people.
The statement also found that the greatest heat stress does not always occur on the hottest days. Instead, it is more likely during moderately hot days with little or no wind and after heat has accumulated over several consecutive days.
"This changes the way we need to design heatwave warning systems," the statement said.
Source: CNA
