By Elisha Walker
As Copenhagen endures a heatwave to mark the start of September, high temperature days could become more common in the city’s future.
By 2100, Copenhagen could experience 160 percent more heatwave days annually compared to 2020, according to a new report by engineering consultancy Sweco. As cities worldwide grapple with rising temperatures, Copenhagen’s forecast highlights the growing climate challenge for urban centres.
The DMI defines a hedebølge, otherwise known as a heatwave, as three consecutive days with highest recorded temperatures over 28 degrees celsius. For a city that typically enjoys temperate summers, the sharp increase in heat events poses challenges not only for the environment but for public health, infrastructure, and local economies.
According to a 2023 report by Oxford University, Denmark was named among the top countries “dangerously unprepared” for global temperature rises. The report cites the city’s buildings, traditionally designed to keep heat in and not out, as one of the country’s biggest challenges.
Local business owner Thomas Valentin Rasmussen has operated his ice cream van at the Islands Brygge Harbour Bath for 14 years, witnessing people flock to the water on hot days.
“I’ve seen good weather and bad weather over the years, but this year has been the worst yet,” said Rasmussen. “The weather is becoming more and more unpredictable.”.