La isla de calor es una situación urbana, de acumulación de calor por la inmensa mole de hormigón, y demás materiales absorbentes de calor; y atmosférica que se da en situaciones de estabilidad por la acción de un anticiclón térmico. Se presenta en las grandes ciudades y consiste en la dificultad de la disipación del calor durante las horas nocturnas, cuando las áreas no urbanas, se enfrían notablemente por la falta de acumulación de calor. El centro urbano, donde los edificios y el asfalto desprenden por la noche el calor acumulado durante el día, provoca vientos locales desde el exterior hacia el interior. Comúnmente se da el fenómeno de elevación de la temperatura en zonas urbanas densamente construidas causado por una combinación de factores tales como la edificación, la falta de espacios verdes, los gases contaminantes o la generación de calor. Se ha observado que el fenómeno de la isla de calor aumenta con el tamaño de la ciudad y que es directamente proporcional al tamaño de la mancha urbana.

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An urban heat island (UHI) is a city or metropolitan area that is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas due to human activities. The temperature difference usually is larger at night than during the day, and is most apparent when winds are weak. UHI is most noticeable during the summer and winter. The main cause of the urban heat island effect is from the modification of land surfaces. Waste heat generated by energy usage is a secondary contributor. As a population center grows, it tends to expand its area and increase its average temperature. The less-used term heat island refers to any area, populated or not, which is consistently hotter than the surrounding area. Monthly rainfall is greater downwind of cities, partially due to the UHI. Increases in heat within urban centers increases the length of growing seasons, and decreases the occurrence of weak tornadoes. The UHI decreases air quality by increasing the production of pollutants such as ozone, and decreases water quality as warmer waters flow into area streams and put stress on their ecosystems. Not all cities have a distinct urban heat island. Mitigation of the urban heat island effect can be accomplished through the use of green roofs and the use of lighter-colored surfaces in urban areas, which reflect more sunlight and absorb less heat. There are concerns raised about possible contribution from urban heat islands to global warming. Research on China and India indicates that urban heat island effect contributes to climate warming by about 30%. On the other hand, one 1999 comparison between urban and rural areas proposed that the urban heat island effects have little influence on global mean temperature trends. Many studies reveal increases in the severity of the effect with the progress of climate change.

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