Characteristics of the urban heat island effect in the coastal Mediterranean city of Kalamata, Greece

Abstract

The urban heat island effect for the coastal Mediterranean city of Kalamata is studied, for June to September during two consecutive years, 2019–2020. Temperature data were gathered by fixed temperature stations, placed in representative locations, covering all the major areas (urban, suburban, and rural). Results showed that the urban area is warmer than suburban and rural ones. The maximum heat island intensity was also estimated, usually achieved during nighttime and early in the morning. As there are no such data for Kalamata, this work helps to identify issues of energy consumption and human comfort. Especially for small Mediterranean cities, the work could be useful for a researcher to clarify the UHI Intensity. Detailed data are presented in the work, both for the clarification of UHI and its intensity and for the characteristics of each area, which could be useful for the development of UHI mitigation strategies, in small coastal cities.

Keywords

• urban heat island (uhi)
• microclimate
• coastal city
• ambient air temperature
• kalamata