Attribution and mitigation of heat wave-induced urban heat storage change

Abstract

When the urban heat island (UHI) effect coincides with a heat wave (HW), thermal stress in cities is exacerbated. Understanding the surface energy balance (SEB) responses to HWs is critical for improving predictions of the synergies between UHIs and HWs. This study evaluates observed SEB characteristics in four cities (Beijing, Łódź, London and Swindon), along with their ambient meteorological conditions, for both HW and background summer climate scenarios. Using the Analytical Objective Hysteresis Model (AnOHM), particular emphasis is on the heat storage. The results demonstrate that in London and Swindon the amount of daytime heat storage and its fraction relative to the net all-wave radiation increase under HWs. Results further demonstrate that such increases are strongly tied to lower wind speeds. The effects of different UHI mitigation measures on heat storage are assessed using AnOHM. Results reveal that use of reflective materials and maintaining higher soil moisture availability can offset the adverse effects of increased heat storage.

Keywords

• heat wave
• heat storage
• urban environment
• surface energy balance