Selected examples of bioclimatic analysis applying the physiologically equivalent temperature in Hungary

Összefoglalás : Cikkünkben bioklimatológiai elemzést végzünk az ún. Fiziológiailag Equivalens Hőmérséklet (PET) index felhasználásával először Magyarország egész területén (1 km-es felbontású bioklíma térkép segítségével). A bioklíma térképek a PET index térbeli eloszlását mutatják Magyarországon egy téli (február) és egy nyári (augusztus) hónapban. Majd két szinoptikai állomás (Szombathely és Sopron) 1996 és 1999 között rögzített adataiból számított PET értékek alapján részletes elemzésben hasonlítjuk össze a két város főbb bioklimatológiai jellegzetességeit. Summary : In this study, maps were created that show the geographical distribution of Physiologically Equivalent Temperature (PET) values in February and August for the area of Hungary, with a resolution of 1 km. For the further analysis of the thermal bioclimate, data of the synoptical stations of Szombathely and Sopron, recorded from 1996 to 1999, has been used. This study provides a detailed analysis and comparison of the bioclimatic properties of these locations

Pilot actions in European cities - Stuttgart

The field of urban climatology has a long tradition in Stuttgart. It exists as discipline in Stuttgart since 1938. Stuttgart was the first city to establish its own Department of Climatology to research ways of improving the flow of fresh air into the city and to reduce thermal stress in most populated city districts. The specialist department of Urban Climatology, within the Environmental Protection Office, deals with tasks relating to environmental meteorology within the scope of air pollution control and also relating to urban and global climate protection. So in Stuttgart the urban heat island phenomenon (UHI) is studied for several decades, leading to a high level understanding of the UHI and the problems which it causes. The UHI causes an increase in air temperatures and thermal stress, that are identified as most negative impacts on human health and urban living. In the view of global climate change and the predicted temperature rise for the Stuttgart region of 1.5–2 K in this century, the negative impacts of UHI on human health and urban living will become more problematic in the future. According to the results of climate models the frequency of very hot days is expected to jump by nearly 30 % at the end of the century. The rising temperatures due to the global climate change in combination with the temperature shift as a result of the UHI will intensify the heat stress in urban areas, that leads to a significant increasing risk to human health, in particular to the very young and elderly. Not least due its importance for the human health and the quality of urban life in Stuttgart, the UHI is focussed by urban planners and is noticed by the future development of the city. Within the pilot action study in Stuttgart several measure for reducing the UHI and the impacts on urban living and human health are analysed by the use of micro-scale and macro-scale simulations. With the help of these analysis realisable measure are selected. The most useful measures are implemented into a developmoutline plan for the redevelopment of the city district Stuttgart-West by the municipal urban planners

Seasonal Regional Differentiation of Human Thermal Comfort Conditions in Algeria

The thermal conditions of the bioclimate of Algeria are investigated applying especially the physiologically equivalent temperature (PET) seasonal variability of five main Algerian cities representing different climate and geographical conditions: coastal region, highland region, and Sahara zone. The physiologically equivalent temperature (PET) calculated for this study at 12.00 UTC (13.00 local time) is used to emphasize the impacts of climate on human heat stress in different seasonal and regional regimes. This study is important since it is performed for the first time in Algeria using a deterministic approach through the calculation of PET based on the body-atmosphere energy balance using the Munich Energy-Balance Model for Individuals (MEMI). Applying PET is a new feature in assessing the bioclimate of Algeria and serves the touristic and the health sector in particular. For touristic purposes, it is part of the new internationally introduced climate touristic/transfer information scheme (CTIS) enabling the Algerian results to be paled in comparison to other countries. Considering climate change, the study shows as a new feature a significant increase in the number of days with strong and extreme heat stress within the last three decades and discusses the risks and advantages for future tourism in Algeria

Planning with urban climate in different climatic zones

The main climatic changes induced by settlements are discussed first, in order to introduce the main objectives of this paper: to show the importance of urban climate information for planning and to emphasize that adequate measures “to plan and to build with climate”vary according to the macroclimate of the urban area. The urban radiation and energy balances, heat islands, wind conditions, air pollution and thermal comfort are dealt with in detail. Studies of the last decades that consider the economic and health benefits of using climatic information are also reviewed., Urban climates should be a routine consideration of land use planning processes in order to attain a better “climatequality” in settlements. We suggest measures that can reduce the negative effects or take advantage of the positive consequences of urbanizationon climate in different climate zones (cold, warm and humid, warmand arid, contrasting seasons’ climate).Resumen: Se discuten primero los principales cambios climáticos inducidospor los asentamientos, con el fin de establecer los principales objetivosde este trabajo: mostrar la importancia de la información climáticapara la planificación urbana y hacer hincapié en que las medidas adecuadas“para planificar y construir con el clima” varían de acuerdo conel clima del área donde está localizada la ciudad. Los balances de radiacióny energía urbanos, la isla de calor, las condiciones del viento, lacontaminación del aire y el confort térmico se tratan en detalle. Tambiénson revisados los estudios de las últimas décadas que consideran losbeneficios económicos y para la salud de la utilización de informaciónclimática. La consideración del clima urbano debe formar parte de losprocesos de ordenamiento territorial para lograr una mejor “calidad delclima” en los asentamientos. Se proponen también medidas que puedenreducir los efectos negativos o aprovechar las ventajas de urbanizar unazona basándose en su clima (frío, cálido y húmedo, cálido y árido, contrastesestacionales del clima)

Thermal bioclimate analysis for Europe and Italy

Thermal bioclimate indexes (as thermal comfort or heat stress indexes) are one of the main issues concerning tourism and health conditions especially for expected climate change. The Mediterranean area and countries such as Italy, Spain, France, Turkey and Greece, whose economies are markedly dependent on tourism, are vulnerable regions concerning climate change. In the present study thermal comfort and heat stress (here with the thermal index physiologically equivalent temperature—PET) are analysed in order to quantify the monthly conditions in this area. Additionally, based on climate change scenarios, the seasonal pattern of PET for the period 2070-2100 has been calculated. The results show that the expected conditions of thermal comfort especially for the Mediterranean and Italy will be higher, during summer, about two to three classes of thermal stress for the “business as usual” climate scenarios, and one class of thermal stress for winter. Adaptation and mitigation strategies are hence required for the protection of human health and tourism state and potentialities

Review of Biometeorology of Heatwaves and Warm Extremes in Europe

Numerous extreme heatwaves producing large impacts on human health, agriculture, water resources, energy demand, regional economies, and forest ecosystems occurred during the first twenty years of the 21st century. The present study strives to provide a systematic review of recent studies of warm biometeorological extremes in Europe. The main aim of this paper is to provide a methodical summary of the observed changes in warm extremes, duration, and variability in different parts of Europe. During the last decade, much attention has been paid to the negative impacts of heat and humidity on human health. Therefore, the human biometeorology is required to appraise the human thermal environment in a way that human thermoregulation is taken into account. In many European countries and regions, future heat exposure will indeed exceed critical levels, and a steep increase in biometeorological heatwaves and warm extremes are expected. The indices that take into account human energy balance along with weather conditions should be used to examine the impacts of extreme heatwaves on human health and should be used as a basis for the determination of acclimatization to high-heat-stress conditions. A detailed description of recent studies that have used biometeorological indices such as Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) and Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) for the estimation of warm extremes and their influence on human health is provided. Additionally, a short overview of the existence of the heat-health warning systems (HHWS), their conceptualization, and implementation across the European continent is considered, as well as the possibilities for further investigations and implementation of effective measures and programs that could reduce the adverse health impacts

THERMAL COMFORT TRENDS AND VARIABILITY IN THE CROATIAN AND SLOVENIAN MOUNTAINS

Mountain meteorological stations played an extremely important role in weather forecasting in the past because they were the only available data source on meteorological conditions several hundred metres above the sea level. Nowadays they are mainly used to estimate the climatic variations and the climate change trends in the environment that is not under the direct influence of the local anthropogenic factors. Two mountain meteorological observatories were chosen to illustrate climatic and bioclimatic trends and variability, Zavižan in Croatian Dinaric Alps and Kredarica in Slovenian Julian Alps. Both have the same monitoring protocol and similar instruments. Because of their unchanged surrounding since time of establishment the data from both observatories are extremely valuable for studying changes in sensitive mountain ecosystems in both countries. Data from the period 1955-2004 were used to assess mountain climatic and bioclimatic variability and trends in Croatia and Slovenia. Results point at the significant increase in the thermal bioclimate index (PET) based on the human energy balance models. At both sites the increase is mainly caused by temperature changes

Differences in the thermal bioclimatic conditions on the urban and rural areas in a southern Hungarian city (Szeged)

The aim of this study is to compare the bioclimatic situation of a city and the surrounding rural area on the example of a Southern Hungarian city (Szeged). To examine the frequency of the one hour averages of the PET index, it is shown that due to the strong direct radiation a strong or extreme heat stress values has 1.1 % higher occurrence in the rural areas compared to the urban ones. But considering the PET averages through the whole examined time period, it is 14 % higher in the urban areas. This effect is more pronounced in summer, when daytime with extreme heat stress is followed by night with 7-8 °C higher PET values in the city. During these times, the human body cannot regenerate in the nights before the repeated extreme heat stress occurs again during daytime. This makes the urban bioclimatic conditions (in summer, especially during heat wave) more demanding, compared to the rural ones