Geographica Pannonica (Jan 2020)
Precipitation spatial patterns in cities with different urbanisation types: Case study of Novi Sad (Serbia) as a medium-sized city
Abstract
A direct outcome of the global climate change is the modification of seasonal precipitation patterns, apparent on a monthly temporal scale. In Central Europe, it includes more frequent high-intensity rainfalls, occurring mostly during spring and summer. These heavy rainfalls induce pluvial floods in urban areas due to a high percentage of impervious surfaces and limited drainage systems. This hazard affects Central European cities and impacts many receptors, including lives, infrastructures, private properties or the functioning of cities. This study focuses on the monitoring of precipitation events with the aim of revealing precipitation patterns across two different types of land cover: urban and suburban/rural areas of Novi Sad (Serbia). Measurements from seven rain gauge stations were used as input data, covering the 2015-2018 period. The precipitation data were analysed using 12 precipitation indices, nine of which were defined by the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices (ETCCDI), while three additional were designed specifically for this study. Based on their locations, the stations were classified into the 'urbanized' and 'non-urbanised' group. The concept of the Local Climate Zone (LCZ) was used to classify urbanised areas LCZ1-8, non-urbanised areas LCZ9 and the land cover zones (LCZ A-G). A statistical analysis based on the ANOVA F-test was conducted, defining the significance threshold at 90% for a = 0.01 and at 95% for a = 0.05. The obtained results revealed one relation for the CDD index at 95% and two relations at 90% for CDD and Rp95 indices, showing a relation between heavy rainfall and the type of land cover. Statistical results underline the need for a denser station network and longer monitoring periods in order to proceed to stronger statistical tests and make it possible to establish other relations with the climate indices.
