{
  "id": 3068366,
  "title": "A massive data center hub is likely heating up a town outside London",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/a-massive-data-center-hub-is-likely-heating-up-a-town-outside-london",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-24T16:38:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "CBS News",
    "slug": "cbs-news",
    "url": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/data-centers-heating-up-slough-outside-london-uk-research/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Slough, a small industrial town just west of London, is grappling with record-breaking summer temperatures this year. Residents attribute the extreme heat to the proximity of one of the world's second largest data center hubs. Nabeel Nawaz, a local restaurant owner, described the sweltering July heat, with temperatures surpassing previous years. The data center, located less than two miles from the town center, operates cooling units around the clock to regulate the temperature of hundreds of computer servers housed within its vast buildings. These cooling systems transfer excess heat into water or air, which is then vented or evaporated into the atmosphere. While data centers worldwide employ similar methods, researchers from the University of Cambridge suggest that the concentrated heat emitted by these facilities could be contributing to a phenomenon known as the heat island effect. This effect can raise local temperatures by up to 16 degrees Fahrenheit in extreme cases. Although the research did not specifically examine Slough's data center, its size and concentration raise concerns about the potential impact on the densely populated area. CBS News compared temperature data from local weather stations in Slough, Windsor, and Uxbridge during July, finding Slough to be over one degree warmer on average throughout the month. Khadija, a resident living near the data center complex, noticed the intense heat firsthand, stating that it's unusually hot, making it uncomfortable to sit down without a fan. Digital Realty, the real estate company managing some of the data centers in Slough, maintains that their facilities use efficient cooling systems and incorporate green spaces to minimize heat output. They claim their heat footprint is smaller than expected and better than the industry average. Experts agree that any large structure can increase local temperatures, but data centers' concentrated heat output may amplify the urban heat island effect. As more data centers of this scale are built worldwide, researchers emphasize the need for further evidence on the waste heat emitted by these facilities across various geographies and climates. The long-term sustainability of this trend remains a question.",
  "summary": "Researchers say residents of Slough, just outside London, are likely very literally feeling the heat from a massive cluster of data centers in their town.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}