Cities have in recent times been thought to have some peculiar relationship with heatwaves. This school of thought is anchored on the argument that greenhouse gases cause global warming and cities have many vehicles and industries emitting CO₂. But cities are just victims of circumstances. Cities are usually developed on low altitude zones which are generally plain allowing for the development of requisite infrastructure.

Low altitude zones experience more intense heating than high altitude zones. Hot deserts lie in low altitude zones and experience high temperatures despite absence of human activities currently blamed for global warming. If it were indeed true that greenhouse gases cause global warming in cities then we need to be told why deserts which have no industries nor human settlements suffer the fate of global warming.

Greenhouse gases and heatwaves

Heatwaves pose the greatest challenge to the greenhouse gases theory of climate change for critical minds. Heatwaves though becoming more frequent and widespread, persist for a number of days then subside. Assuming the argument that greenhouse gases trap sun’s heat leading to global warming, what happens when heatwaves subside after a few days over the same regions? Do greenhouse gases migrate from one region to another causing heatwaves along the way and carrying the heat away as they move?