Inter-spatial heat vulnerability assessment of Summer - 2018 over Madhya Pradesh using discomfort (wind and thermal) indices

Due to global warming, increase in air temperature is a growing concern at present. This rise in temperature may cause mild to severe thermal discomfort and heat related hazards mostly for the people who are engaged in outside activities throughout the day. The present study shows the inter-spatial monthly distribution of thermal patches over major stations of Madhya Pradesh, viz., Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore, Jabalpur, Hoshangabad, Rewa, Ratlam, Ujjain, Dhar etc. In this study, various Heat Indices applicable for tropical climate including Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) are used to estimate the thermal stress by analyzing the meteorological data of Summer-2018 in Madhya Pradesh. Study was carried out for computing indoor, shady and outdoor heat stress separately and heat transfer rates to identify the places vulnerable to severe heat stroke in the month of March, April and May in 2018.It is observed that declaration of heat wave alone at any station is not sufficient for the administration and health organizations to take precautionary actions; also, discomfort indices should be referred for impact based monitoring and making work schedules. It is found that March and April fall in the partial discomfort category for at least half of the districts in Madhya Pradesh. It is interesting to note that several districts fall in discomfort category in outdoor conditions but not in indoor or shady conditions in May month. Severe stresses are observed mainly in the West and Central Madhya Pradesh during April and May months. Comparison of various Heat Indices is too performed along with computing Tropical Summer Index (TSI) and Apparent Temperature (AT) to indicate real feel-like temperatures in Madhya Pradesh during extreme temperature events.

Analysis of Ocean-Atmospheric features associated with extreme temperature variation over east coast of India-A special emphasis to Orissa heat waves of 1998 and 2005

During the decade of 1998-2007, both Orissa and Andhra Pradesh at east Coast of India have been affected by heat waves more frequently and more severely causing very high damages to human lives. The most severe heat wave years for the region in the recent past are summer of 1998 over Orissa and 2003 over Andhra Pradesh when 2,042 and nearly 3054 people lost their lives respectively. In summer of 2005, though severe heat wave conditions were experienced for some days over Orissa and adjoining east coasts, the damages were not high as before. In view of such extreme temperature events have been regularly affected the region during the period where their normal frequency is low, analyses of their long period temperature data and study of their relationship with various regional and global ocean-atmospheric features are very much necessary, to find possible causes and then use them in forecasting. In the present study, an attempt has been made to analyze various temperature time series as available, varying from large domain to small domain, e.g., all India temperature, east coast of India temperature etc., to understand whether years which had recorded extreme temperatures in these larger domains have any relationship with that occurred over its very smaller domain, e.g., Orissa from station data, of which later is a part. To understand the relation between the magnitude of heat indices and loss to total human lives it caused during respective whole periods of heat waves, different heat indices, viz., general heat indices, Thom’s discomfort and Webb’s comfort indices have been computed during these extreme years over Orissa and Andhra Pradesh states and compared with total heat wave related human deaths over the respective states for the corresponding years. In addition to various heat indices, various Ocean-atmospheric characteristics, e.g., monthly SST over Bay of Bengal, day-to-day synoptic flow pattern, recurving Cyclonic Storms which strengthen low-level westerly and prohibit onset of Sea breeze over the coastal stations in the region causing persistent of heat waves, have also been critically analyzed both spatially and temporally to find role of these features in such occurrences. Their statistical lag correlations if any with ensuing temperature rise have been tested to explore the possibility of using them in forecasting these events much in advance.

Innovative energy efficient thermal insulation to ensure indoor comfort in nZEB buildings

The paper presents the analysis of water and heat transfer through walls being thermally insulated with vegetal materials. The analysis identifies the risk for condense accumulation in the outer layers of external walls of a common residential building located in the coldest climatic regions of Romania. Different wall structures and insulation thicknesses are systematically considered with statistical extreme temperature and humidity outdoor values. Results are useful in designing nZEB individual houses with green and sustainable technologies that also provide energy savings and indoor conditions for good comfort and health in these desired building concept.

Impact of Extreme Temperature and Soil Water Stress on the Growth and Yield of Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill)

Climate change is a major environmental stressor that would adversely affect tropical agriculture, which is largely rain-fed. Associated with climate change is an increasing trend in temperature and decline in rainfall, leading to prolonged and repeated droughts. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of climate variables such as temperature, relative humidity, vapor pressure deficit (VPD), and soil water on the phenology, biomass, and grain yield of soybean crops. A greenhouse experiment was set in a split plot design with three average environmental conditions as the main plots: E1 (36 °C, RH = 55%), E2 (34 °C, RH = 57%) and E3 (33 °C, RH = 44%). Additionally, there were three water treatments: W1 (near saturation), W2 (Field capacity), and W3 (soil water deficit) and two soybean varieties (Afayak and Jenguma). These treatments were replicated nine times. The results showed that high temperatures (E1) accelerated the crop development, particularly at flowering. Additionally, increased atmospheric demand for water under a high temperature environment resulted in high evapotranspiration, leading to high transpiration which probably reduced photosynthetic activity of the plants and thereby contributing to biomass and grain yield loss. Biomass and yield were drastically reduced for the combined effect of high temperature (E1) and drought (W3) as compared to combined effect of ambient temperature (E3) and well-watered condition (W1). Increasing temperatures and erratic rainfall distributions associated with climate change poses a potential threat to the soybean production in Ghana.

Effect of Bee Bread on Pregnancy Outcomes and Reproductive System of Rats under Heat Stress Exposure

Exposure to extreme temperature during pregnancy was associated with abnormal birth outcomes including preterm birth, low birth weight, and placental abortion. Bee bread is a natural product created by bees that is highly nutritional and was recommended for human consumption as a source of high energy and protein. Hence, this study aims to determine the effect of bee bread on pregnancy outcomes and the reproductive system of the ovary and uterus in rats exposed to heat stress.

Variation in Extreme Temperature and Its Instability in China

In this study, the instability of extreme temperatures is defined as the degree of perturbation of the spatial and temporal distribution of extreme temperatures, which is to show the uncertainty of the intensity and occurrence of extreme temperatures in China. Based on identifying the extreme temperatures and by analyzing their variability, we refer to the entropy value in the entropy weight method to study the instability of extreme temperatures. The results show that TXx (annual maximum value of daily maximum temperature) and TNn (annual minimum value of daily minimum temperature) in China increased at 0.18 °C/10 year and 0.52 °C/10 year, respectively, from 1966 to 2015. The interannual data of TXx’ occurrence (CTXx) and TNn’ occurrence (CTNn), which are used to identify the timing of extreme temperatures, advance at 0.538 d/10 year and 1.02 d/10 year, respectively. In summary, extreme low-temperature changes are more sensitive to global warming. The results of extreme temperature instability show that the relative instability region of TXx is located in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin, and the relative instability region of TNn is concentrated in the Yangtze River, Yellow River, Langtang River source area and parts of Tibet. The relative instability region of CTXx instability is distributed between 105° E and 120° E south of the 30° N latitude line, while the distribution of CTNn instability region is more scattered; the TXx’s instability intensity is higher than TNn’s, and CTXx’s instability intensity is higher than CTNn’s. We further investigate the factors affecting extreme climate instability. We also find that the increase in mean temperature and the change in the intensity of the El Niño phenomenon has significant effects on extreme temperature instability.

Projection of Hot and Cold Extremes in the Amu River Basin of Central Asia using GCMs CMIP6

The extreme temperature has become more frequent and intense due to global warming, particularly in dry regions, causing devastating impacts on humans and ecosystems. The transboundary Amu river basin (ARB) is the most vulnerable region in Central Asia (CA) to extreme weather linked to climate change. This study aimed to project warm and cold extremes in ARB for three Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0 and SSP5-8.5) and two time-horizons, 2020–2059 and 2060-2099, using daily maximum (Tmax) and minimum temperature (Tmin) simulations of global climate models (GCMs) of Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project phase six (CMIP6). Results revealed that the basin's west experiences more hot extremes and the east more cold extremes. Climate change would cause a significant increase in the annual mean of Tmax and Tmin. However, the increase in mean Tmin would be much higher (5.0ºC ) than the mean Tmax (4.6ºC ). It would cause an increase in the hot extremes and a decrease in the cold extremes in the basin. The higher increase in the hot extremes would be in the west, while the higher decrease in the cold extreme in the basin's east. The number of days above 40℃ would increase from 45 to 60 days in the basin's west and northwest compared to the historical period. The number of days below -20℃ would decrease up to 45 days in the basin's east. Overall, the decrease in cold extremes would be much faster than the increase in hot extremes.

Trends in surface temperature variability over Mumbai

izs{k.kkRed izek.kksa ls HkweaMy ij lrg rkiekuksa esa m".k izo`fRr dk irk pyrk gSA bl 'kks/k i= esa eqacbZ ds vf/kdre vkSj U;wure rkiekuksa dh izo`fRr;ksa dks Li"V fd;k x;k gSA blesa ,d n’kd ls ysdj izfrnu rd ds fofHkUu dkfyd ekiØeksa ij rkieku izo`fRr;ksa dh tk¡p dh xbZ gSA fo"ke ?kVukvksa ds ?kfVr gksus dh vko`fRr esa izo`fRr;ksa ds fy, ekSle ds leku xq.kksa ds rRoksa dh Hkh tk¡p dh xbZ gSA lkekU;r% eqacbZ esa rkieku dh c<+rh gqbZ izo`fRr ikbZ xbZ gS ftlesa U;wure rkiekuksa dh vis{kk vf/kdre rkieku vf/kd ik;k x;k gS rFkk ;g 95 izfr’kr dh fo’oLrrk Lrj ij lkaf[;dh; :i ls egRoiw.kZ gSA tk¡p dh varj&okf"kZd vkSj varjk ekSle ekuksa nksuksa ij ekWulwu iwoZ vkSj ekWulwu _rqvksa dh vis{kk 'khr _rq vkSj ekWulwuksRrj _rqvksa esa m".krk lfgr ekSleh fHkUurk Li"V :i ls vf/kd ns[kh xbZ gSA pje rkieku ds fo’ys"k.k esa ekSleh fHkUurk Hkh Li"Vr% ns[kh xbZ gSA xeZ fnuksa vkSj xeZ jkrksa esa ?kVukvksa dh vko`fRr 'khr_rq vkSj ekWulwuksRrj _rqvksa dh vis{kk ekWulwu iwoZ vkSj ekWulwu _rqvksa esa vf/kd Li"V :i ls ns[kh xbZ gSA lHkh _rqvksa esa nksuksa LVs’kuksa ij fnu vkSj jkr nksuksa ds le; ds rkiekuksa esa larqfyr m".k izo`fRr ikbZ xbZ gS gk¡ykfd ekWulwuksRrj _rq esa lkarkØqt esa ;g fHkUurk lkaf[;dh; :i ls ux.; ikbZ xbZ gSA Observational evidence points to a warming trend in surface temperatures over the globe. This paper focuses on the trends in Maximum and Minimum temperatures over Mumbai. The temperature trends were investigated at different temporal scales from decadal to daily. The seasonal series were also investigated for trends in frequency of occurrences of extreme events. In general an increasing trend is observed over Mumbai, with the increase in Maximum temperatures more than the Minimum temperatures and statistically significant at 95% confidence level. A seasonal distinction is evident with the warming more in the Winter and Post Monsoon seasons as compared to the Pre Monsoon and Monsoon seasons at both the inter-annual and intra-seasonal scales of investigation. The seasonal distinction was also evident in the extreme temperature analysis. The frequency of occurrences in the hot days and hot nights were more pronounced in the Pre Monsoon and Monsoon seasons as compared to the Winter and Post Monsoon seasons. Symmetric warming trend was observed for both the daytime and nighttime temperatures at both the stations in all the seasons though the variations at Santacruz are statistically insignificant in the Post-Monsoon season