A Methodological Approach for the Definition of the Urban Heat Island in Rome and Possible Use for the Evaluation of the Impact of Heat waves on Mortality

AbstractCities are well known to be hotter than the rural areas that surround them; this phenomenon is called the urban heat island. Heat waves are excessively hot periods during which the air temperatures of both urban and rural areas increase significantly. However, whether urban and rural temperatures respond in the same way to heat waves remains a critical unanswered question. In this study, a combination of observational and modeling analyses indicates synergies between urban heat islands and heat waves. That is, not only do heat waves increase the ambient temperatures, but they also intensify the difference between urban and rural temperatures. As a result, the added heat stress in cities will be even higher than the sum of the background urban heat island effect and the heat wave effect. Results presented here also attribute this added impact of heat waves on urban areas to the lack of surface moisture in urban areas and the low wind speed associated with heat waves. Given that heat waves are projected to become more frequent and that urban populations are substantially increasing, these findings underline the serious heat-related health risks facing urban residents in the twenty-first century. Adaptation and mitigation strategies will require joint efforts to reinvent the city, allowing for more green spaces and lesser disruption of the natural water cycle.

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The Impact of Climate Change on Urban Thermal Environment Dynamics

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos12091159 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (9) ◽

pp. 1159

Author(s):

Igor Žiberna ◽

Nataša Pipenbaher ◽

Daša Donša ◽

Sonja Škornik ◽

Mitja Kaligarič ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Urban Heat Island ◽

Heat Waves ◽

Thermal Environment ◽

Urban Systems ◽

Climate Change Scenarios ◽

Heat Island ◽

Urban Heat ◽

Urban Thermal Environment ◽

The Impact

The human population is increasing. The ongoing urbanization process, in conjunction with climate change, is causing larger environmental footprints. Consequently, quality of life in urban systems worldwide is under immense pressure. Here, the seasonal characteristics of Maribor’s urban thermal environment were studied from the perspectives of surface urban heat island (SUHI) and urban heat island (UHI) A remote sensing thermal imagery time series and in-situ measurements (stationary and mobile) were combined with select geospatial predictor variables to model this atmospheric phenomenon in its most intensive season (summer). Finally, CMIP6 climate change scenarios and models were considered, to predict future UHI intensity. Results indicate that Maribor’s UHI intensity maximum shifted from winter to spring and summer. The implemented generalized additive model (GAM) underestimates UHI intensity in some built-up parts of the study area and overestimates UHI intensity in green vegetated areas. However, by the end of the century, UHI magnitude could increase by more than 60% in the southern industrial part of the city. Such studies are of particular concern, in regards to the increasing frequency of heat waves due to climate change, which further increases the (already present) heat stress in cities across the globe.

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The impact of heat waves on surface urban heat island and local economy in Cluj-Napoca city, Romania

Theoretical and Applied Climatology ◽

10.1007/s00704-017-2196-4 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 133 (3-4) ◽

pp. 681-695 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Ioana Herbel ◽

Adina-Eliza Croitoru ◽

Adina Viorica Rus ◽

Cristina Florina Roşca ◽

Gabriela Victoria Harpa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Urban Heat Island ◽

Heat Waves ◽

Local Economy ◽

Heat Island ◽

Urban Heat ◽

Surface Urban Heat Island ◽

The Impact

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Urban Heat Island in Wuhan and Its Relationship With Nearby Water Bodies

E3S Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/e3sconf/202018502008 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 185 ◽

pp. 02008

Author(s):

Claire Xu

Keyword(s):

Urban Heat Island ◽

Land Surface ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Energy Use ◽

Heat Waves ◽

Water Bodies ◽

Heat Island ◽

Island Effect ◽

Urban Heat ◽

The Impact

With predictions of global warming to continue into the near future, heat waves are likely to increase both in frequency and severity. Combined with the fast-developing urban areas and sky-rocketing populations in some regions, urban heat island effect becomes increasingly prominent. This trend has caused numerous problems in energy use, human health, and environmental stress. The purpose of the study in this article is to examine the effects of UHI and its impact on nearby water bodies. Through a series of data, which is collected by using Geospatial visualization tool, the study analyzes the extent to which UHI raises the water temperature in Wuhan, China, and compares lakes in different region of Wuhan to explore the impact of modified land surface and human activities. Given the exacerbation of the urban climatic crisis, the study also presents several potential solutions to a sustainable future in urban areas.

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Review on Urban Heat Island in China: Methods, Its Impact on Buildings Energy Demand and Mitigation Strategies

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13020762 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 762

Author(s):

Liu Tian ◽

Yongcai Li ◽

Jun Lu ◽

Jue Wang

Keyword(s):

Energy Consumption ◽

Urban Heat Island ◽

Building Energy ◽

Design Stage ◽

Heat Island ◽

Building Energy Consumption ◽

Rapid Urbanization ◽

Substantial Impact ◽

Urban Heat ◽

The Impact

High population density, dense high-rise buildings, and impervious pavements increase the vulnerability of cities, which aggravate the urban climate environment characterized by the urban heat island (UHI) effect. Cities in China provide unique information on the UHI phenomenon because they have experienced rapid urbanization and dramatic economic development, which have had a great influence on the climate in recent decades. This paper provides a review of recent research on the methods and impacts of UHI on building energy consumption, and the practical techniques that can be used to mitigate the adverse effects of UHI in China. The impact of UHI on building energy consumption depends largely on the local microclimate, the urban area features where the building is located, and the type and characteristics of the building. In the urban areas dominated by air conditioning, UHI could result in an approximately 10–16% increase in cooling energy consumption. Besides, the potential negative effects of UHI can be prevented from China in many ways, such as urban greening, cool material, water bodies, urban ventilation, etc. These strategies could have a substantial impact on the overall urban thermal environment if they can be used in the project design stage of urban planning and implemented on a large scale. Therefore, this study is useful to deepen the understanding of the physical mechanisms of UHI and provide practical approaches to fight the UHI for the urban planners, public health officials, and city decision-makers in China.

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Climate-informed decision-making for urban design: Assessing the impact of urban morphology on urban heat island

Urban Climate ◽

10.1016/j.uclim.2021.100776 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 36 ◽

pp. 100776

Author(s):

Luis G.R. Santos ◽

Ido Nevat ◽

Gloria Pignatta ◽

Leslie K. Norford

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Urban Heat Island ◽

Urban Design ◽

Urban Morphology ◽

Informed Decision ◽

Informed Decision Making ◽

Heat Island ◽

Urban Heat ◽

The Impact

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Characterization of the subsurface urban heat island and its sources in the Milan city area, Italy

Hydrogeology Journal ◽

10.1007/s10040-021-02387-z ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Alberto Previati ◽

Giovanni B. Crosta

Keyword(s):

Urban Heat Island ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Heat Fluxes ◽

Shallow Aquifer ◽

Heat Island ◽

Groundwater Temperature ◽

City Area ◽

Groundwater Environment ◽

Urban Heat ◽

The Impact

AbstractUrban areas are major contributors to the alteration of the local atmospheric and groundwater environment. The impact of such changes on the groundwater thermal regime is documented worldwide by elevated groundwater temperature in city centers with respect to the surrounding rural areas. This study investigates the subsurface urban heat island (SUHI) in the aquifers beneath the Milan city area in northern Italy, and assesses the natural and anthropogenic controls on groundwater temperatures within the urban area by analyzing groundwater head and temperature records acquired in the 2016–2020 period. This analysis demonstrates the occurrence of a SUHI with up to 3 °C intensity and reveals a correlation between the density of building/subsurface infrastructures and the mean annual groundwater temperature. Vertical heat fluxes to the aquifer are strongly related to the depth of the groundwater and the density of surface structures and infrastructures. The heat accumulation in the subsurface is reflected by a constant groundwater warming trend between +0.1 and + 0.4 °C/year that leads to a gain of 25 MJ/m2 of thermal energy per year in the shallow aquifer inside the SUHI area. Future monitoring of groundwater temperatures, combined with numerical modeling of coupled groundwater flow and heat transport, will be essential to reveal what this trend is controlled by and to make predictions on the lateral and vertical extent of the groundwater SUHI in the study area.

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