Land-surface temperature in Athens on 15 July 2023

Land surface temperatures around Athens, Greece, on 15 July 2023 measured from space at 20:02 CEST, the surface temperature in the south of the city reached 35°C. The temperatures were recorded by NASA's Ecostress instrument which is carried on the International Space Station.

The hot surfaces are clear to see as they appear bright red. However, the cooling effect of vegetation can be seen in the image.

Measurements of the temperature of Earth’s surface taken from space are essential to track the impact of climate change, and to being better prepared for such extremes – especially when it comes to cities where stifling urban heat islands form.

The Ecostress instrument, owned by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is important because it is helping in the development of a new Copernicus Sentinel Expansion satellite – the Land Surface Temperature Monitoring (LSTM) mission – so images such as these offer a glimpse of what the new mission will deliver operationally.

Read full story: Sensing city night heat from space