absorption and retaining of the heat the man-made structures -- roads, parking lots, and buildings serve as a heat source. Releasing the energy slowly into the atmosphere raises the temperature of those surfaces and the air in contact with them, creating an urban heat island. As the day progresses, a dome of warm air forms over the city as convection transports heat from the surface to higher in the atmosphere. Even after the sun goes down, the temperatures do not drop quickly and stay higher than other areas with trees and natural surroundings such as open fields, forest or vegetated areas that surround larger urban areas. The UHI effect does not allow for the natural dropping of temperatures at night and causes human illness as a result. Below is a pictorial view of what happens (W1).

Figure 1. Conceptual model of the urban heat island phenomena (W1) Materials and Methods

Strategies to fight UHI include giving urban buildings reflective or “green” roofs that can cut down on UHI. Creating green spaces within cities will help in reducing the effects of UHI. These spaces would include trees, vegetation, roof top gardens that will help to reduce heat absorption and ultimate reducing the overall temperature. Another focus should be on reducing the introduction of asphalt and concrete by incorporating more green spaces to shade surfaces and improve quality of the life in urban areas.