Story perspectives

Church Records Reveal Rising Urban Summer Temperatures

12/22/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Researchers Yangang Xing and Andrew Knight of Nottingham Trent University find that organ-tuning books contain climate data from churches.
Their study, published in Buildings & Cities, finds that urban church summer temperatures rose from 17.2°C to 19.8°C based on records dating back to 1966.
Organ tuners note that temperature and humidity affect tuning, with the researchers planning to collect more historical tuning records to explore the connection.

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Story summary

Researchers Yangang Xing and Andrew Knight of Nottingham Trent University find that organ-tuning books contain climate data from churches.
Their study, published in Buildings & Cities, finds that urban church summer temperatures rose from 17.2°C to 19.8°C based on records dating back to 1966.
Organ tuners note that temperature and humidity affect tuning, with the researchers planning to collect more historical tuning records to explore the connection.