Urban thermal plume

Imagine you're in a city on a really hot day. You might notice that it feels even hotter in certain areas, like next to a big building or on a busy street. That's because all the stuff in the city - roads, cars, buildings - are making the air hotter.

When the air gets hotter, it rises up into the sky. This is called a thermal plume. So in places where there is a lot of hot stuff, like in a city, there can be a big thermal plume that rises up from that area.

This hot air rising creates something kind of like a bubble around the city or that specific area. The bubble is full of hot air that starts to move around as the wind blows. This can make the whole city feel even hotter, especially in the summer.

So when you're walking outside and feeling extra sweaty and uncomfortable in a city, you can blame the thermal plume. It's just all the hot air rising up, making things extra toasty!