Analysis of Human Thermal Comfort in the Summer Months in the City of Pelotas/RS and the Relationship with Extreme Weather Conditions

Abstract

This work analyzes an index of thermal comfort adaptable to the summer period in the city of Pelotas - RS. Daily data for 9h, 15h, and 21h (local time) of meteorological variables (air temperature and relative humidity) were used, from 1985 to 2015, obtained byAgroclimatological Station of Embrapa (Brazilian Company of Agricultural Research). In order to represent daily thermal comfort, twobiometeorological indexes were analyzed: Heat Index (HI) and Humidex Index (HU), during the mornings, afternoons and evenings. The results showed that the Humidex Index presented, on most days, heat stress, mainly in January, considering all periods of the day(mornings, afternoons and nights), while the Heat Index presented, the condition of thermal stress only in the afternoon.

Keywords

• heat index
• humidex index
• comfort