ABSTRACT: The possibility of predicting nocturnal intra-urban air temperature differences on the basis of meteorological data from climatic stations was analysed. Three years of recording at an urban canyon and a nearby open area in the city of Göteborg, Sweden, formed the basis of the analyses. The urban canyon-urban open area temperature differences (DeltaT_c-o) were best estimated when the data was first classified with reference to the amount of cloud cover and then fitted to a non-linear regression equation which included the wind speed at the urban open area (10 m level). The study shows that the degree of intra-urban temperature variations can be predicted using a fairly simple methodology. The methodology and the general pattern of the model could be helpful as a complementary tool in urban land use planning for cities with a structure similar to Göteborg.

KEY WORDS: City climate . Urban canyon . Air temperature . Street geometry . Applied climatology . Urban planning

Published in CR Vol. 7, No. 1 (1996) on August 22
ISSN: 0936-577X. Copyright © Inter-Research, Oldendorf/Luhe, 1996