Residents living near Europe's largest datacentre park in Slough report unbearable summer heat, with emerging research suggesting these facilities create a heat island effect that can push local temperatures up by as much as 9C.
Heat Impact on Slough Residents
Nabeel Nawaz, store manager of a Chaiiwala franchise in central Slough, described the heat as something "pinching your body and burning your skin." The area, 10 miles west of Heathrow, hosts an estimated 30 to 40 huge datacentres, many on a central campus, owned by companies like Equinix and Digital Realty and serving tech giants including Amazon, Google, Oracle, and Microsoft. More facilities are planned for the edge of the same campus.
Scientific Evidence of Heat Island Effect
A preprint paper led by Cambridge researchers suggests datacentres increase temperatures in their immediate vicinity by an average of 2C, and up to 9C, due to cooling systems required for sensitive electronics, including AI chips. Andrea Marinoni, an associate professor at Cambridge and co-author, noted the research is nascent but robust worldwide, citing complexes in Brazil and Spain. However, Slough's scale—roughly a gigawatt of datacentres—may amplify effects. "Slough is almost like an experiment by itself," Marinoni said, as new investments bring a new generation of larger facilities.
Local Temperature Observations
On Wednesday, the closest weather station to the tech park recorded 36.7C, while other stations in Slough were cooler, with one in the town centre reaching 36.2C. The pattern held through the week. Residents like Naveed Hussein, who has lived in Slough all his life, question why it's so hot. "My computer gives off a lot of heat. So does my phone. So I have to imagine that the big datacentres do as well," he said.
Mixed Views Among Locals
Some attribute the heat to concrete and climate change. Didier Kindembe, on lunch break in the industrial park, said, "I think it's the concrete too and not just the datacentres. There's a lot of concrete around, and it absorbs the heat." His friend Matt noted that Slough is consistently hotter than surrounding areas: "In 2022, when there was the heatwave, the temperature in the car park was 45C. But when you drove towards Windsor it dropped to 39C." Nawaz estimates datacentres account for only 10% to 15% of the heat, with most due to climate change, but acknowledged they also create jobs.
