Characteristics of Biometeorological Conditions in Poland during the Long May Weekend Based on the Universal Thermal Climate Index

Abstract

The study objective was to characterise biometeorological conditions during the long May weekend (1–3 May) in Poland in the period 1966–2020 and determine baric conditions causing their variability. The conducted research employed data such as air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and total cloudiness. The aforementioned data were collected at 12:00 UTC. In the first year of the conducted study, the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) was calculated for the period of 1–3 May in the years 1966–2020. Next, circulation conditions were analysed in the designated groups based on daily sea level atmospheric pressure values and isobaric surface height of 500 hPa. This study evidenced the occurrence of variable biometeorological conditions during the long May weekend in Poland. The lowest index values were recorded at the coast of the Baltic Sea and in Northeast Poland, and the highest in the southern and western regions. On the analysed days of May in the years 1966–2020, days classified as days with no thermal stress were recorded the most frequently, followed by days with cold stress, and days with warm stress that occurred sporadically. People planning tourist activity on the analysed days should be prepared for diverse biometeorological conditions, from those causing cold stress to those causing heat stress.

Keywords

• biometeorology
• atmospheric circulation
• UTCI
• global warming
• Poland