Urban Thermal Risk

Founda, Dimitra

doi:10.3390/atmos12040466

Cited by 2 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…Fire risk may be exacerbated from combined projected droughts and hot conditions, along with the exposure of humans to heat-related stress [7,[28][29][30][31]65]. The high, record-breaking nighttime and all-day temperatures in Athens during HW2021 underline the increased vulnerability of urban populations to thermal risk [66]. UHIs are closely linked to increased mortality during severe heat waves [37,67,68].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Extreme Heat Wave of Summer 2021 in Athens (Greece): Cumulative Heat and Exposure to Heat Stress

et al. 2022

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The Mediterranean has been identified as a ‘climate change hot spot’, already experiencing faster warming rates than the global average, along with an increased occurrence of heat waves (HWs), prolonged droughts, and forest fires. During summer 2021, the Mediterranean faced prolonged and severe HWs, triggering hundreds of wildfires across the region. Greece, in particular, was hit by one of the most intense HWs in its modern history, with national all-time record temperatures being observed from 28 July to 6 August 2021. The HW was associated with extreme wildfires in many parts of the country, with catastrophic environmental and societal consequences. The study accentuated the rarity and special characteristics of this HW (HW2021) through the analysis of the historical climate record of the National Observatory of Athens (NOA) on a centennial time scale and comparison with previous HWs. The findings showed that HW2021 was ranked first in terms of persistence (with a total duration of 10 days) and highest observed nighttime temperatures, as well as ‘cumulative heat’, accounting for both the duration and intensity of the event. Exceptionally hot conditions during nighttime were intensified by the urban heat island effect in the city of Athens. Human exposure to heat-related stress during the event was further assessed by the use of bioclimatic indices such as the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI). The study points to the interconnected climate risks in the area and especially to the increased exposure of urban populations to conditions of heat stress, due to the additive urban effect.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Extreme Heat Wave of Summer 2021 in Athens (Greece): Cumulative Heat and Exposure to Heat Stress

et al. 2022

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“…The urban population in European cities, specifically, has increased by 23.2% in the last seven decades, from 51.7% in 1950 to 74.9% in 2020, and it is expected to further increase reaching 77.5% in 2030 and 83.7% in 2050 (United Nations 2019 ). Changes in the thermal environment due to global climate change (Coffel et al 2017 ; Li et al 2018 ), further enhanced by the urban heat island (Founda and Santamouris 2017 ; Katavoutas and Founda 2019a ; Katavoutas et al 2015 ; Sarangi et al 2021 ; Tan et al 2010 ; Van Hove et al 2015 ), are expected to pose serious challenges to urban population in the future, in terms of human thermal comfort, health and welfare of people (Founda 2021 ; Katavoutas and Founda 2019b ; Kjellstrom et al 2016 ; Matthews et al 2017 ; Sheridan and Allen 2015 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The thermal conditions that are formed in cities in the twenty-first century pose a number of challenges to urban residents and policy makers related to quality of life, health and welfare as well as to sustainable urban development. In the years to come, urban population and urbanization levels are projected to increase (United Nations 2019 ) and in combination with the burden of thermal/health risk due to climate change (Ebi et al 2018 ; Founda 2021 ; Kjellstrom et al 2016 ; Matthews et al 2017 ; Sheridan and Allen 2015 ) will further put the thermal environment of cities in the spotlight of scientific research.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate change impacts on thermal stress in four climatically diverse European cities

et al. 2022

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The thermal conditions that prevail in cities pose a number of challenges to urban residents and policy makers related to quality of life, health and welfare as well as to sustainable urban development. However, the changes in thermal stress due to climate change are probably not uniform among cities with different background climates. In this work, a comparative analysis of observed and projected thermal stress (cold stress, heat stress, no thermal stress) across four European cities (Helsinki, Rotterdam, Vienna, and Athens), which are representative of different geographical and climatic regions of the continent, for a recent period (1975 − 2004) and two future periods (2029 − 2058, 2069 − 2098) has been conducted. Applying a rational thermal index (Universal Thermal Climate Index) and considering two models of the EURO-CORDEX experiment (RCA4-MOHC, RCA4-MPI) under two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP4.5, RCP8.5), the projected future changes in thermal conditions are inspected. The distribution of thermal stress in the current climate varies greatly between the cities, reflecting their climatic and urban heterogeneity. In the future climate, a reduction in the frequency of cold stress is expected across all cities, ranging between − 2.9% and − 16.2%. The projected increase in the frequency of optimal thermal conditions increases with increasing latitude, while the projected increase in the frequency of heat stress (ranging from + 0.2 to + 14.6%) decreases with increasing latitudes. Asymmetrical changes in cold- and heat-related stress between cities were found to affect the annual percentage of optimal (no thermal stress) conditions in future. Although future projections are expected to partly bridge the gap between the less-privileged cities (with respect to annual frequency of optimal thermal conditions) like Helsinki and Rotterdam and the more privileged ones like Athens, the former will still lag behind on an annual basis.

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Urban Thermal Risk

Abstract: Global warming is accelerating and according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the decade from 2011 to 2020 was the warmest recorded decade ever [...]

Cited by 2 publications

References 5 publications

The Extreme Heat Wave of Summer 2021 in Athens (Greece): Cumulative Heat and Exposure to Heat Stress

The Extreme Heat Wave of Summer 2021 in Athens (Greece): Cumulative Heat and Exposure to Heat Stress

Climate change impacts on thermal stress in four climatically diverse European cities

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