Today in our environmental science lecture, we'll discuss urban heat islands. A recent study in Melbourne compared temperatures in the city center with those in surrounding parks. The researchers found that on hot summer days, the city center was up to 4 degrees Celsius warmer than nearby green areas. This difference is mainly due to concrete and asphalt absorbing heat during the day and releasing it slowly at night. Interestingly, the study also noted that planting more trees along streets could reduce the peak temperature by about 1.5 degrees. However, the effect was smaller during windy conditions, as air movement dispersed the cool air.