BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 14, 2021
People in Portland suffered more than most Mainers when temperatures hit the mid-90s at the end of June as climate change brings more extreme heat days and health risks that hit urban areas hardest, a new national analysis found. Maine’s largest city could be nearly 6 degrees warmer this summer than areas surrounding it because of low tree cover and heat-absorbing infrastructure such as pavement, buildings and rooftops, according to data released Wednesday by Climate Central. “We are called the ‘Forest City,’ and we want to make sure we can improve and maintain our tree canopy because that’s a really important way to reduce the heat island effect,” Troy Moon, sustainability director for the city of Portland, said.