The effect of urban conurbation on the modification of human thermal perception, as illustrated by the example of Warsaw (Poland)

Abstract

As proven by scientific research, urban conurbations of a size similar to the Warsaw conurbation generate urban heat islands of an intensity of 1.5–2.5 °C, which results in changes of biometeorological conditions. It was stated that with increased distance from the city centre, the number of cold and very frosty days also increased, which is the result of the mitigating influence of UHI on thermal conditions in the city centre. The difference in the number of cold days between central and peripheral stations amounted to 15–30 %. The obtained distribution of a conurbation’s thermal conditions is reflected in the spatial distribution of the obtained values of effective temperature. In the case of ‘warm’ sensations, the frequency decreases as the distance from the centre increases, and in the case of ‘cold’ sensations, the frequency increases with increased distance from the city centre.