A diagnostic equation for the daily maximum urban heat island effect for cities in northwestern Europe

Theeuwes, N. E. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9277-8551, Steeneveld, G.-J., Ronda, R. J. and Holtslag, A. A. M. (2017) A diagnostic equation for the daily maximum urban heat island effect for cities in northwestern Europe. International Journal of Climatology, 37 (1). pp. 443-454. ISSN 0899-8418 doi: 10.1002/joc.4717

Abstract/Summary

The urban heat island (UHI) effect, defined as the air temperature difference between the urban canyon and the nearby rural area, is investigated. Because not all cities around the world are equipped with an extensive measurement network, a need exists for a relatively straightforward equation for the UHI effect. Here, we derive a simple, diagnostic equation for the UHI using dimensional analysis. This equation provides a first-order estimation of the daily maximum UHI based on routine meteorological observations and straightforward urban morphological properties. The equation is tested for 14 cities across northwestern Europe and appears to be robust. The comprehensiveness of this analytical equation allows for applications beyond urban meteorological studies.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/73260
Item Type	Article
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	No Reading authors. Back catalogue items
Uncontrolled Keywords	urban heat island, urban climate, meteorological observations, Western Europe, dimensional analysis, Buckingham-220F
Publisher	John Wiley & Sons
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