Wind Chill Index Research Articles

Spatial-temporal patterns of travel climate comfortable period in Northeast China from 1981 to 2010

As a kind of time scale to the assessment of travel climate comfort degree, travel climate comfortable period (TCCP) is of signifi cance to tourism development, such as architectural design of the tourism scenic spot, health of the tourists, and regional tourism development strategy under climate infl uence etc. Most of studies on TCCP generally took month- scale as the time granularity, which was too long to precisely chart the intra- or inter- regional differences. TCCP spatial and temporal characteristics of Northeast China from 1981 to 2010 in day-scale are described. Based on the daily meteorological data from 98 basic weather stations in Northeast China, including Heilongjiang province, Jilin province, and Liaoning province, this paper made use of Temperature Humidity Index and Wind Chill Index, and built the compound model based on them to assess the climate comfortableness of this area in the past 30 years since the 1980s. This study indicates the average annual and seasonal TCCP and its spatial patterns in Northeast China. The research results can provide the basic cognition and important reference of the travel health guarantee and climate environmental adaption for the tourism development in this area.

Effect of winter and spring meteorological conditions on milk production of grazing dairy sheep in the Mediterranean environment

This three-year study evaluated the effects of winter and spring meteorological conditions on milk production of grazing dairy sheep in Mediterranean conditions, in order to define optimal and critical thresholds, quantify milk yield reductions due to environmental stress, and evaluate the immediate or delayed effects of meteorological factors (MF). Milk production was recorded twice a day (7:00 and 15:00) throughout the lactation period (January–June) in three flocks (FL) kept in the same experimental farm but grazed different pasture areas. The first flock (FLNA) was composed of Nera di Arbus dairy ewes managed conventionally; the second flock (FLSD) was composed of Sarda dairy ewes managed conventionally; and the third flock (FLORG) was a mixed flock of Nera di Arbus and Sarda dairy sheep raised under organic management. Daily MF and some biometeorological indices, i.e. Wind Chill Index (WCI), Temperature Humidity Index (THI) and derived indices, were evaluated by using hourly data recorded 24h before the last milking of each day and also 1, 2 and 3days before milking in winter and spring. Data on main MF associated with the morning and afternoon milkings were analyzed using the hourly data from 15:00 of the previous day to 6:00 of the day of milking and from 7:00 to 14:00 of the day of milking, respectively. The interaction between FL and MF was not significant in winter and spring. Milk yield was influenced by most of the MF studied, especially minimum, average and maximum air temperature in both seasons and, to a lesser extent, permanence at temperatures below 0°C and 3°C in winter and above 25°C in spring. The highest milk yield was related to the following optimal ranges: 6–12°C (Tmin), 6–15°C (Tavg) and 12–21°C (Tmax) in winter and 9–12°C (Tmin), 12–18°C (Tavg) and 15–24°C (Tmax) in spring. In winter, daily milk yield was negatively affected by WCI and the persistency of WCI at values lower or equal to −1. In spring, milk yield decreased at average and maximum THI higher than 65 and 68, respectively, and as hours of permanence at Mild-Discomfort level and Discomfort level increased. Wind speed equal to or higher than 2.5m/s in winter and 4m/s in spring and maximum wind speed equal to or above 8m/s in both seasons were detrimental to milk yield. Average wind values between 1.5 and 4m/s had a beneficial effect in spring. Radiation above 24MJ/m2 was detrimental to milk yield in spring, whereas rain had a negative effect only in winter. Milk yield reductions were as high as 19% for Tmax, 17% for Tavg and 15% for minimum WCI (WCImin) in winter, and 19% for Tmax, and 17% for both Tmin and maximum THI (THImax) in spring. The ewes responded immediately (0d and 1d) to almost all unfavourable conditions in winter, whereas the timing of responses was more variable during spring. A lag-effect of rainfall was detected. The 0–2d period before milking was the most influencing for most relevant MF in both seasons. When comparing the morning and afternoon milkings, the dairy ewes were more sensitive to low temperatures before the afternoon milking in winter, and to higher temperatures before the morning milking in spring. In conclusion, thermal stress caused reductions in milk yield in winter and spring, emphasizing the importance of adopting proper management practices to relieve the negative effects of stressful weather conditions on milk yield of grazing dairy sheep in the Mediterranean region.

Wind Speed for Load Forecasting Models

Temperature and its variants, such as polynomials and lags, have been the most frequently-used weather variables in load forecasting models. Some of the well-known secondary driving factors of electricity demand include wind speed and cloud cover. Due to the increasing penetration of distributed energy resources, the net load is more and more affected by these non-temperature weather factors. This paper fills a gap and need in the load forecasting literature by presenting a formal study on the role of wind variables in load forecasting models. We propose a systematic approach to include wind variables in a regression analysis framework. In addition to the Wind Chill Index (WCI), which is a predefined function of wind speed and temperature, we also investigate other combinations of wind speed and temperature variables. The case study is conducted for the eight load zones and the total load of ISO New England. The proposed models with the recommended wind speed variables outperform Tao’s Vanilla Benchmark model and three recency effect models on four forecast horizons, namely, day-ahead, week-ahead, month-ahead, and year-ahead. They also outperform two WCI-based models for most cases.

Improved milk production through PG-PL system by provision of in-house shelter management in lactating Murrah buffaloes during winter season.

Comprehensive information on the role of β-casein and plasminogen-plasmin (PG-PL) system in milk secretion of Murrah buffaloes during winter season is lacking, although effects of cold stress can be ameliorated to an extent by altering microclimate at farm level. Hence, this study was aimed to determine the changes in productivity along with PG-PL system of milk, plasma hormones and metabolites of buffaloes during winter (December-January) season under two different management systems. Average minimum temperature and wind chill index during this season were 7.02 and 12.74°C respectively. Buffaloes were divided in two groups of six animals each: control and treatment, where treatment group animals were placed in-house with floor bedding of paddy straw and the control group animals in loose housing system without straw bedding. Physiological responses were recorded, and milk and blood samples were collected at weekly intervals for six-week experimental period. Under in-house management system, buffaloes experienced better comfort by alleviating environmental stress as their physiological responses such as respiration rate and pulse rate were significantly reduced (p<0.01) as compared to the control, which subsequently resulted higher milk yield by 9.92% (p<0.05). Analysis of milk samples revealed higher concentration of plasminogen (10.6 vs. 8.05μg/ml; p<0.01) and β-casein (p<0.05), and lower plasmin level (0.299 vs. 0.321μg/ml; p<0.05) in buffaloes under treatment group. It was also found that plasma cortisol, glucose and non-esterified fatty acids levels were higher (p<0.01) in control group as compared to the treatment animals by 13.6%, 8.14% and 12.6% respectively. However, milk composition, growth hormone, epinephrine and norepinephrine level in plasma were similar in both the groups. Hence, it may be concluded that provision of in-house shelter management with floor bedding of paddy straw during winter was effective to minimize environmental stress and improved milk production through manipulation of PG-PL system in buffaloes.

NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF INTERNAL MICROCLIMATE INSIDE A LIVESTOCK BUILDING

In the current work, a numerical model for the prediction of temperature, air velocity, relative humidity and ammonia distribution released by sheep and goats manure inside a naturally ventilated livestock building is presented. Given that noteworthy amount of gaseous pollutants are emitted by the agricultural and animal husbandry activities, the study of the indoor microclimate is essential to be investigated for the healthy growth of the breeding livestock. The developed numerical model is satisfactory validated by recorded measurements in the building. The analysis reveals that the natural ventilation of the building is effective, although it is observed relative high temperatures in the cores of the recirculations inside the building. ACh (Air Changes per hour) and internal climate indexes like THI (Temperature Humidity Index) and Twc (Wind Chill Index) were calculated in order to reveal the existence of areas where cold or heat stress conditions hold. According to the developed flow pattern, it is estimated the ammonia distribution internally. Due to the adequate ventilation of examined cases, no areas with excessive ammonia concentration are predicted neither marked areas with heat or cold stress climatic conditions are found. In buildings with relative geometry, areas away from openings, are candidates for the appearance of hot stress conditions, even when the required ventilation rates are satisfied. However, this is expected to be happened for higher external temperatures from the examined. This implies that, large and concentrated openings cannot substitutes, in terms of efficiency, the smaller and equally distributed over a building's sides openings.

INTELLIGENT SYSTEM FOR FORECASTING OF THE SOLAR POWER PLANTS WORK

The paper presents the methods and technologies of development of the computational systems for forecasting of solar power plants (SP) work in the meteorological conditions dependence. The artificial neural networks included into the analytical platform “Deductor” which has a wide range of methods for the pre-treatment of data, methods for preliminary data analysis, and data modeling are used to create forecasting systems. These systems are based on the results of the unique continuous four-year multi-parameter monitoring of SP characteristics and meteorological conditions. The following variables: voltage, current in the load circuit and power, solar radiation, external temperature, humidity, dew point, wind speed, wind direction, wind chill index, heating index, index of “temperature + humidity + wind”, index of “temperature + humidity + wind + solar radiation”, atmospheric pressure, ultraviolet index, and index of evaporation – have been registering by the monitoring system. The power density and the value of the conversion coefficient of solar energy into electrical energy are determined additionally. The paper describes two variants of the multifactor computational models for forecasting the power density and the conversion coefficient in the meteorological conditions dependence. The first variant uses the full set of recorded meteorological conditions. The second variant uses the limited set of meteorological conditions available from the forecast of the Hydro Meteorological Center of the Russian Federation. The paper gives the application examples of both variants of forecasting systems. These forecasting systems can be used not only for the direct prediction of the SP work, but also for the zoning of the Russian Federation territory from the perspectives of SP building. The importance of this approach lies in the fact that it is not a question of the generally accepted zoning of the Russian Federation territory in the solar radiation level dependence, but of zoning in terms of power density and the conversion coefficient of solar energy into electrical one. The proposed approach can be used to forecast of wind power plants work, work of thermodynamic installations using solar energy, and other devices of alternative energetic.

Study of Wind Chill Factor using Infrared Imaging

This paper presents a study of wind chill factor using infrared imaging. Wind chill factor is the cooling sensation due to the exposure of wind temperature environment. The wind chill factor depends on air temperature, wind velocity, and humidity. Wind chill poses serious health risks. Various wind chill index models are given in the literature. The wind chill factor is closely associated with the phenomenon of heat transfer. The convective mode of heat transfer is most dominant in the case of wind chill. The paper presents infrared imaging results in a controlled environment. The wind drift is recorded experimentally and verified using computational fluid dynamics modeling. The results demonstrated that the rate of heat transfer increases under wind drift. This is evident from the temperature of a human subject captured using Infrared imaging.

The association between wind-related variables and stroke symptom onset: A case-crossover study on Jeju Island

BackgroundAlthough several studies have investigated the effects of ambient temperature on the risk of stroke, few studies have examined the relationship between other meteorological conditions and stroke. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the association between wind-related variables and stroke symptoms onset. MethodsData regarding the onset of stroke symptoms occurring between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2007 on Jeju Island were collected from the Jeju National University Hospital stroke registry. A fixed-strata case-crossover analysis based on time of onset and adjusted for ambient temperature, relative humidity, air pressure, and pollutants was used to analyze the effects of wind speed, the daily wind speed range (DWR), and the wind chill index on stroke symptom onset using varied lag terms. Models examining the modification effects by age, sex, smoking status, season, and type of stroke were also analyzed. ResultsA total of 409 stroke events (381 ischemic and 28 hemorrhagic) were registered between 2006 and 2007. The odds ratios (ORs) for wind speed, DWR, and wind chill among the total sample at lag 0–8 were 1.18 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06–1.31), 1.08 (95% CI: 1.02–1.14), and 1.22 (95% CI: 1.07–1.39) respectively. The ORs for wind speed, DWR, and wind chill for ischemic stroke patients were slightly greater than for patients in the total sample (OR=1.20, 95% CI: 1.08–1.34; OR=1.09, 95% CI: 1.03–1.15; and OR=1.22, 95% CI: 1.07–1.39, respectively). Statistically significant season-specific effects were found for spring and winter, and various delayed effects were observed. In addition, age, sex, and smoking status modified the effect size of wind speed, DWR, and wind chill. ConclusionsOur analyses showed that the risk of stroke symptoms onset was associated with wind speed, DWR, and wind chill on Jeju Island.

Bioclimatic evaluation of the human discomfort level for several Antarctic regions

A set of unfavorable climatic factors determines how extreme the environment is for humans in particular regions. The Arctic and Antarctic (polar) regions are generally considered to be the most extreme environments. Assessing the extreme conditions is of importance for developing life support systems and personal protective equipment, implementing proper labor management, and preventing frostbite. Several methods are currently used to assess the climate severity, but none of them addresses the level of discomfort for humans. Two indices, the Wind Chill Index (WCI) and Bioclimatic Index of Severity of Climatic Regime (BISCR), were previously developed to estimate the level of bioclimatic discomfort. With the indices, bioclimatic parameters were evaluated for eight Antarctic stations: Amundsen–Scott, Bellingshausen, Byrd, McMurdo, Mirny, Molodezhnaya, Novolazarevskaya, and Vostok. Monthly and annual data on air temperature, wind speed, relative humidity, altitude, and air pressure were used to calculate the WCI and BISCR. The BISCR, which includes hypoxia as a component of bioclimatic discomfort, was found to better predict the impact of meteorological conditions on the human body in Antarctica and to allow comparisons of outdoor climatic conditions and indoor microclimate for Antarctic stations. The WCI proved to detect no difference between stations from different climatic zones, especially in indoor conditions, thus being unsuitable for comparisons. The findings can be used for labor management at inland Antarctic stations to minimize possible health risks.

Spatial and temporal relevance of some bioclimatic indexes for the study of the bioclimate of Moldova (west of the Prut river)

This study originated in the necessity to identify usable bioclimatic indexes with good results in the overall bioclimatic characterization of Moldova west of the Prut River (hereinafter Moldova). For reasons related to the extent of the text, we have analyzed only a part of the bioclimatic indexes known in the literature (TEE - Equivalent Effective Temperature, THI - Thermo-hygrometric index, DI THOM - Thom Discomfort Index, RSI - Relative Strain Index, HI - Heat index, HUMIDEX - HUMIDEX index, SSI - Summer SIMMER Index, ISE - Summer SCHARLAU Index, ISH - Winter SCHARLAU index and Pr - Wind-chill Index). Considering the large number of indexes (which vary in their structure and limitations of use) and a representative number of stations (14 stations), we have based our analytical approach on a standard time interval equal to one month. We have thus acquired a temporal resolution that enables us to identify the representativeness or non-representativeness of these indexes for Moldova and also their relevance / usefulness in depicting distinctive or detailed features of the Moldova bioclimate

Effect of Vegetation on Wind-Comfort

Air flow pattern in urban environment are radically influenced by the sophisticated topography of buildings. Although in general the wind velocity is less than that in rural areas there are many critical points where the air movement accelerates. Such phenomenon can be observed in narrow streets, around the corners and below arcades.Vegetation can not only decrease the wind velocity but accelerate it. Trees can redirect air flow downward, whilst shrubs do upward. Around the corners of buildings high wind velocity and turbulence can develop which itself may lead to discomfort, in case of gust even the chance of accidents cannot be excluded. Together with low air temperature the wind-chill index may result in thermal discomfort.From the point of view of pedestrians the air flow up to the 2 meter height is to be investigated. The question is how the whirling air flow around the building corners can be tempered by vegetation in this band. The height of shrubs may be estimated as 1 meter while the canopy of trees hinders the air flow from about 3 meter height. Different combinations of shrubs and trees may contribute to wind discomfort as well as prevent it. In this paper the suitable arrangement of vegetation is analysed in function of street layout and wind direction.

Effect of weather conditions and presence of visitors on adrenocortical activity in captive African penguins (Spheniscus demersus)

A number of potential stressors are present in captive environments and it is critically important to identify them in order to improve health and welfare in ex situ animal populations. In this study, we investigated the adrenocortical activity of a colony of African penguins hosted in an immersive zoo in Italy, with respect to the presence of visitors and local microclimatic conditions, using the non-invasive method of assessing faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGMs). The penguins’ exhibit is a large naturalistic outdoor enclosure, which closely reproduces the natural habitat of this species. Data collection took place from the beginning of June to the end of August 2014, during the period of maximum flow of visitors. We carried out 12 sampling periods, each involving 2 consecutive days; during the first day we counted the visitors and we registered the meteorological data, and on the second day, we collected the faecal samples, which amounted to a total of 285 faecal samples. Our results showed that the number of visitors did not influence the adrenocortical activity of the African penguins. Conversely, the local microclimatic conditions did influence the physiological stress on these birds. We found that an increase of the daily mean temperature induced a significant increase in FGM concentrations, although humidity and wind speed had a moderating effect on temperature and reduced the heat-induced stress. Moreover, we calculated two climatic indices, commonly used to assess the thermal discomfort in animals, namely the THI (Temperature-Humidity Index) and WCI (Wind Chill Index), and we detected a positive relationship between their values and the FGM levels, demonstrating that these indices could be useful indicators of weather discomfort in African penguins. Our study shows that the simulating naturalistic conditions could have significant benefits for zoo animals, such as reducing the negative effect of visitors. Nevertheless, it should be taken into account where the zoological facility is located and if the local microclimatic conditions are compatible with the hosted species, to ensure that they do not differ greatly from their natural habitat.

Low temperatures and wind; challenges, applicability and limitations from an industrial perspective

The effect of low temperature and wind on the cooling of exposed skin has been a field of interest since the first study by Siple and Passel in 1945[1]. This resulted in the Wind Chill Index (WCI), which expressed the rate of heat loss of a cylinder per unit surface mass. The WCI remained unchanged for many years, and is still regarded as an established and well-defined framework for assessing cold stress. However, in recent years, the Wind Chill Equivalent Temperature (WCT) has supplanted the WCI. WCT is a calculated air temperature based on dry-bulb temperature and wind speed. In the last number of years, these equations have undergone several revisions, in an attempt to develop a tool that is easy to understand and use, and is scientifically valid. The rise in industrial activity in the High North has brought new challenges and a need for better winterisation standards in installations and vessels designed to operate in extremely cold climates. Reducing the need for winterisation without compromising the health and safety of the workers will reduce both building costs and the weight of offshore installations. The aim of this study was to compare the wind-chill recommendations in ISO 11079 and NORSOK S-002, Working Environment.

Thermal comfort in Quebec City, Canada: sensitivity analysis of the UTCI and other popular thermal comfort indices in a mid-latitude continental city.

The newly developed Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI), along with the physiological equivalent temperature (PET), the humidex (HX) and the wind chill index (WC), was calculated in Quebec City, Canada, a city with a strong seasonal climatic variability, over a 1-year period. The objective of this study is twofold: evaluate the operational benefits of implementing the UTCI for a climate monitoring program of public comfort and health awareness as opposed to relying on traditional and simple indices, and determine whether thermal comfort monitoring specific to dense urban neighborhoods is necessary to adequately fulfill the goals of the program. In order to do so, an analysis is performed to evaluate each of these indices' sensitivity to the meteorological variables that regulate them in different environments. Overall, the UTCI was found to be slightly more sensitive to mean radiant temperature, moderately more sensitive to humidity and much more sensitive to wind speed than the PET. This dynamic changed slightly depending on the environment and the season. In hot weather, the PET was found to be more sensitive to mean radiant temperature and therefore reached high values that could potentially be hazardous more frequently than the UTCI and the HX. In turn, the UTCI's stronger sensitivity to wind speed makes it a superior index to identify potentially hazardous weather in winter compared to the PET and the WC. Adopting the UTCI broadly would be an improvement over the traditionally popular HX and WC indices. The urban environment produced favorable conditions to sustain heat stress conditions, where the indices reached high values more frequently there than in suburban locations, which advocates for weather monitoring specific to denser urban areas.

Observed Trends in Severe Weather Conditions Based on Humidex, Wind Chill, and Heavy Rainfall Events in Canada for 1953–2012

ABSTRACTObserved trends in severe weather conditions based on public alert statements issued by Environment Canada are examined for Canada. Changes in extreme heat and extreme cold events represented by various humidex and wind chill indices are analyzed for 1953–2012 at 126 climatological stations. Changes in heavy rainfall events based on rainfall amounts provided by tipping bucket rainfall gauges are analyzed for 1960–2012 at 285 stations. The results show that extreme heat events, defined as days with at least one hourly humidex value above 30, have increased significantly at more than 36% of the stations, most of which are located south of 55°N; days with nighttime hourly humidex values remaining above 20 have increased significantly at more than 52% of the stations, most of which are located south of 50°N. Extreme cold events represented by days with at least one hourly wind chill value below −30 have decreased significantly at more than 76% of the stations across the country. No consistent changes were found in heavy rainfall events. Because city residents are very vulnerable to severe weather events, detailed results on changes in extreme heat, extreme cold, and heavy rainfall events are also provided for ten urban centres.

Discomfort Indices in North-Eastern Nigeria

Meterological data for thirty years (1980-2009) from three whether stations which are Bauchi Yola and Maiduguri were analyzed to determine the comfort and discomfort period using Temperature humidity indices and wind chill index. Monthly variation of THI was shown to be a mirror image of WCI. No cold, bitter cold episodes were recorded throughout the investigation. The months with heat stress are April, May, June, July, August, September and October while the remaining months which are January, February, March, November and December mostly bring comfortable sensation for all the states investigated except Yola which records heat stress in the month of March. Bauchi and Yola record severe heat stress in the month of April and May where 100% of man and animal are not comfortable due to hot and humid weather. Percentage frequencies of the annual THI and WCI for the thirty years observed were also reported.

Thermal environment and UV-B radiation indices in the Vojvodina region, Serbia

CR Climate Research Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsSpecials CR 57:111-121 (2013) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/cr01163 Thermal environment and UV-B radiation indices in the Vojvodina region, Serbia S. Malinovic-Milicevic1,*, D. T. Mihailovic2, B. Lalic2, N. Dreskovic3 1ACIMSI, University Center for Meteorology and Environmental Modelling, University of Novi Sad, Dositeja Obradovica Sq. 5, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia 2Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Dositeja Obradovica Sq. 8, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia 3Faculty of Sciences, Department of Geography, University of Sarajevo, Zmaj from Bosnia 33-35, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina *Email: slavicans@neobee.net ABSTRACT: We considered thermal environment and UV-B radiation indices in the Vojvodina region, Serbia. We derived an empirical formula for estimating the daily sum of the UV-B from global radiation and used this formula to reconstruct the UV-B radiation pattern for 1981–2008. We describe the actual climate conditions for the period 1992-2008. In addition, we applied a statistical downscaling technique on ECHAM5 outputs under the A2 scenario to assess the 2040 climate. The results indicate that a warmer and drier climate in the Vojvodina region can be expected because of the following evidence: an increase in the mean annual temperature (8.6 to 12.3%) and in the frequency of hot days (29.4 to 50%); a decrease in the mean annual precipitation (8.1 to 14.2%) and in the frequency of cold days (11.8 to 27.8%); a higher increase in the mean temperature for the colder period (24.9%) than for the hotter one (6.7%); and a reduction in precipitation during the growing season (15.7%). We have analyzed the thermal environment for the period 1992-2008 using the wind chill index and the heat index for the winter (December to February) and summer (June to August) periods. In all places, the heat index has a tendency for growth. We determined an increase in the daily UV-B dose in an amount of 3.7% per decade. Even though there is some evidence indicating ozone stabilization, there are no signs of a significant recovery of ozone layer thickness, so it can be expected that UV-B dose levels will remain high in the future. KEY WORDS: Thermal environment · UV radiation · Climate change · Heat index · Wind chill index · Vojvodina region · Serbia Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Malinovic-Milicevic S, Mihailovic DT, Lalic B, Dreskovic N (2013) Thermal environment and UV-B radiation indices in the Vojvodina region, Serbia. Clim Res 57:111-121. https://doi.org/10.3354/cr01163 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in CR Vol. 57, No. 2. Online publication date: August 20, 2013 Print ISSN: 0936-577X; Online ISSN: 1616-1572 Copyright © 2013 Inter-Research.

Relationships between cold-temperature indices and all causes and cardiopulmonary morbidity and mortality in a subtropical island

This study aimed to identify optimal cold-temperature indices that are associated with the elevated risks of mortality from, and outpatient visits for all causes and cardiopulmonary diseases during the cold seasons (November to April) from 2000 to 2008 in Northern, Central and Southern Taiwan. Eight cold-temperature indices, average, maximum, and minimum temperatures, and the temperature humidity index, wind chill index, apparent temperature, effective temperature (ET), and net effective temperature and their standardized Z scores were applied to distributed lag non-linear models. Index-specific cumulative 26-day (lag 0–25) mortality risk, cumulative 8-day (lag 0–7) outpatient visit risk, and their 95% confidence intervals were estimated at 1 and 2 standardized deviations below the median temperature, comparing with the Z score of the lowest risks for mortality and outpatient visits. The average temperature was adequate to evaluate the mortality risk from all causes and circulatory diseases. Excess all-cause mortality increased for 17–24% when average temperature was at Z=−1, and for 27–41% at Z=−2 among study areas. The cold-temperature indices were inconsistent in estimating risk of outpatient visits. Average temperature and THI were appropriate indices for measuring risk for all-cause outpatient visits. Relative risk of all-cause outpatient visits increased slightly by 2–7% when average temperature was at Z=−1, but no significant risk at Z=−2. Minimum temperature estimated the strongest risk associated with outpatient visits of respiratory diseases. In conclusion, the relationships between cold temperatures and health varied among study areas, types of health event, and the cold-temperature indices applied. Mortality from all causes and circulatory diseases and outpatient visits of respiratory diseases has a strong association with cold temperatures in the subtropical island, Taiwan.

Cold and heat impact on human comfort in the Bahía Blanca Estuary Harbours (Argentina)

The aim of the present work was to study the human comfort at working hours related to the number of persons attended in the main hospital wards in two harbours located on the north coast of the Bahía Blanca estuary. For this purpose, the wind chill and humidex indexes were calculated and compared. Ingeniero White harbour is situated at the head of the estuary while Rosales port is located at its mouth. Meteorological data from both harbours was measured during the period 1999-2001. The results show that wind chill index is an average 2.9º C below the actual mean temperature in winter (9.5ºC). The humidex is 3º C above the actual mean temperature in summer (23.9ºC). The greatest discomfort is experienced from noon to night during this season. No significant thermal differences were observed between the inner and outer region of the Bahía Blanca estuary. However, enough evidence has been found to prove that the winter and summer indexes may be related to workers' health.

Bioclimatic characteristic of Banat

This paper analyzes thermal environment condition in Banat on the basis eighteen year long data series in the period 1992-2008. Two thermal indexes (TI), suggested by World meteorological organization, are used, heat index and wind chill index. Analysis shows that mean annual TI were lower than mean annual air temperatures that indicate considerable influence of wind on feeling temperatures in Banat. Analysis also shows that TI increased at rate 0.7°C per decade that is likely to be due to a rise in air temperature under global warming and urban development. Besides TI growth, increasing trend of frequency of TI in heat stress categories is found (1.63 days per years). Frequency of TI in cold stress categories shows a trend of a decrease (0.26 days per years). Unfavorable thermal conditions during the summer have Zrenjanin, while during the winter time Kikinda.