Variabilidad temporal de la isla de calor urbana de la ciudad de Zaragoza (España)

Abstract

We analyse the temporal intensity and variability of the urban heat island (UHI) in the city of Zaragoza (Spain), and assess the role of wind as an important atmospheric conditioning factor. Based on the time data provided by the city’s urban mesoscale meteorological network, the temperature difference between two observatories, one urban (Plaza Santa Marta) and one located on the outskirts of the urban area (Ciudad Deportiva), was calculated for the 2015-2020 period. The results indicate that the temperature in the city centre is very frequently 1º or 2ºC higher than in the surroundings, sometimes even more than 8ºC higher. The UHI is more intense in summer (an average of 2.5ºC per hour) than in winter (an average of 2.2ºC per hour) and more intense during the night than during the day. The maximum UHI value is reached in calm atmospheric situations; however, this value is very limited with winds over 10 km/h and it practically disappears with wind speeds over 50 km/h.