Air temperature fluctuations in Guadalajara, Mexico, from 1926 to 1994 in relation to urban growth

Abstract

AbstractDaily, monthly and annual mean air temperatures in Guadalajara, Mexico, were gathered from the time periods: 1926–1994, 1957–1994, 1978–1994. The heat island effect was detected in a trend analysis of the series of minimum temperatures over the period 1926–1994. Also, it was found that the annual mean temperature increased 0.05°C per year. A sharp increase has occurred over the last 20 years because of the abrupt expansion and industrialization of the city of Guadalajara. This study revealed the presence of a cool island in the centre of the metropolitan zone of Guadalajara (MZG) during the wet season. A cross‐spectral analysis was used to study the thermal variations with different frequencies. Temperature oscillations in the MZG occurred in time intervals ranging from 3–5 days up to 22 years. The study suggests a relationship between urban growth and temperature variations. The temperature rise relates to urban growth with a correlation co‐efficient equal to 0.857. Copyright © 2001 Royal Meteorological Society