The assessment of human bioclimate of Vranje health resort (Serbia) based on Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) with the focus on extreme biothermal conditions

Abstract

The study deals with an assessment and interpretation of the bioclimatic conditions in Vranje (southern Serbia). The study aims at temporal distributions of bioclimatic conditions focussing on extreme thermal stress based on the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI). The meteorological data required for the calculation of UTCI concern hourly (7 and 14 CET) weather data collected for the period 2000-2017. The frequency of very strong heat stress (VSHS), very strong cold stress (VSCS) and extreme cold stress (ECS) for both morning and midday hours. Furthermore, the daily difference of the UTCI hourly values (diurnal UTCI change) are specified, giving the daily variance of heat and cold stress. The results revealed the frequency of days in which thermal stress prevails for the studied period. The obtained results show an increase in extreme heat biothermal conditions, while extreme cold biothermal conditions are in decline, especially in the last 10 years. However, the frequency (the number of days) of very strong heat stress (VSHS) increased since 2007. A spectacular increase in heat stress was observed in the month of September, particularly in 2015.

Analysis of Equivalent Temperatures in the Area of Zlatibor in the Function of Outdoor Tourism

“…Well-visited tourist places in Serbia are also spas, however, according to Stevnović's (2019) analysis of the equivalent temperatures of the Vranjska spa, during the two summer months, July and August, the "overheated" weather type occurs, represented by the "little humidity" class (50-58°C), which from the aspect of tourism it is not favorable because this class also occurs in the cities that represent the emitting areas of the largest number of tourists. Also, an analysis of the Universal Thermal Index of the Vranjski region, to which the Vranjska spa belongs, for the period from 2000 to 2017 found that during July, August and September the class of "strong moderate stress" occurs, which is not the case in Zlatibor (Pecelj, Błażejczyk , Vagic, 2021).…”

“…based on their values it calculates bioclimatic indices used to determine the bioclimatic characteristics of the studied area (Stanković, 1995;Unkašević, 2003;Pecelj, Milinčić, Pecelj, 2007;Stojićević, 2016). Numerous authors have analyzed the various bioclimatic indices of urban centers (Pecelj et al, 2020;Bursać Martić, Stričević, Gocić, 2021;Lukić et al, 2019;Milentijević et al, 2018), spa (Pecelj, Błażejczyk, Vagic, 2021;Stevanović, 2019;Stojićević, Basarin, Lukić, 2016;Maćejka, 2003), mountains (Pecelj et al, 2017;Basarin et al, 2018;Vujević, 1961) but also regional units of Serbia (Basarin et al, 2017;Stojićević, 2016;Malinović Milićević, 2013) and certain places in its surrounding (Šušnjar, Pecelj, 2014;Trbić, 2005).…”

Effect of regional baric systems on the occurrence of bi- oclimatic conditions in Poland

“…A change in the frequency of extreme biothermal conditions in recent years has been observed in Serbia by Pecelj et al (2021), and in Poland by krzyżewska et al (2021). kuchcik et al (2021) recognised increase in maximum UTCI values in summer in the north-east, north-west and south of Poland, as well as in UTCI minimum values in the entirety of Poland in the period 1951-2018.…”

Assessment of Outdoor Thermal Comfort in Serbia’s Urban Environments during Different Seasons

“…In recent years urban OTC, the application of UTCI, and other thermal indices have become the subjects of many scientific studies by numerous researchers from Serbia and other Western Balkan countries [21,22,25,[46][47][48][49][50][51]. Regarding the application of UTCI in studies of Serbian urban bioclimate, this index was analyzed, e.g., by Pecelj et al in order to compare bioclimatic conditions in the urban and suburban zones of Belgrade [52].…”