Spatial distribution of air temperature in Toruń (Central Poland) and its causes

Abstract

In this article, the results of an investigation into the air temperature pattern and development (including the urban heat island (UHI)) in Torun (central Poland) are presented. For the analysis, daily mean temperature (Ti) as well as daily maximum (Tmax) and minimum (Tmin) temperatures for 2012 gathered for 20 sites, evenly distributed in the area of city, have been taken as source data. Additionally, in order to provide more extensive characteristics of the diversity of the air temperature in the study area, the diurnal temperature range (DTR) and the number of the so-called characteristic days were calculated as well. The impact of weather conditions (cloudiness and wind speed), atmospheric circulation, urban morphological parameters and land cover on the UHI in the study area was investigated. In Torun, according to the present study, the average UHI intensity in 2012 was equal to 1.0 °C. The rise of cloudiness and wind speed led to a decrease of the magnitude of the UHI. Generally, in most cases, anticyclonic situations favour increased thermal contrast between rural and city areas, particularly in summer. Warm western circulation types significantly reduced temperature differences in the western side of the city and enlarged them in the eastern side of the city. Eastern cold types also have a similar influence on air temperature differences. Positive and statistically significant correlations have been found between the percentage of built-up areas (sealing factor) and air temperature. Conversely, sky view factor (SVF) reveals negative correlations which are statistically significant only for Tmin.