Ever-rising temperatures in Qatar which is one of the hottest places on Earth have risen so much that authorities have begun to air condition the open air including streets and outdoor markets.
Jos Lelieveld, an atmospheric chemist, said, “These areas are warming faster than the rest of the globe, and in certain cities on top of that you have an urban heat island effect and urban pollution.”
To avoid the searing heat, World Cup 2022 has already been moved to winter.
To cool outdoors
- Giant coolers have been installed alongside pavements and in outdoor shopping malls.
- Small grates beneath each of the 40,000 seats of the open air stadium pushes out cool air at ankle level, resulting in a feel of cool breeze blowing in the stadium.
- To reduce the temperature of the asphalt by 59-68°F degrees, the Public Works Authority has painted the Abdullah Bin Jassim Street with blue color.
- These blue roads also contain hollow ceramic microspheres which are designed to reflect infrared radiation.
- For taking the advantage of breezes, city planners have built walkways and streets pointing north.
Engineer Saad Al-Dosari said: ‘The temperatures of dark asphalt is 20 degrees Celsius higher than the actual temperature because black attracts and radiates heat’.
