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The paper presents a new approach to the study of the spatial variability of heat stress in urban areas. The Universal Thermal Climate Index UTCI was applied for this purpose. The spatial variability of UTCI at the local scale was studied using examples of urban areas with different sizes and geographical locations. The experimental research on urban heat stress was conducted in Warsaw. The research covers both differences between UTCI in urban to rural areas as well as the variation of heat stress within small residential districts in Warsaw. We found a very large and significant heat stress gradient between downtown Warsaw and rural stations. Spatial variability of UTCI was also observed in microclimate research. A modelling approach was presented based on examples from Warsaw, a city with a population of almost 2 million, as well as examples from several spa towns with populations of up to 40,000 located in various parts of Poland. GIS analysis (ArcGIS for Desktop and IDRISI) was applied for this purpose.

The climate and bioclimate of the city have been studied by the climatologists from IGSO PAS since the 1960s. Since the late 1990s, these studies have been based on the measurement network of thermal and humidity conditions in the Warsaw agglomeration. The number of measuring posts has been changed over the years, currently it consists of 27 posts. The main research issues are: temporal and spatial changes of urban heat island under the spatial development changes, methods of limiting the urban heat island and adaptation to it, the impact of biologically vital areas on local climate, forecasts for the urban heat island based on selected climate change models and scenarios of spatial development changes. A large number of studies by the IGSO PAS climatologists concern human bioclimatology, including the thermal sensation, the impact of heat waves and cold waves on morbidity and mortality, the role of greenery in the city (cooling, but also aggravating allergy). The main goal of this research is to determine the measures limiting the negative impact of the urban climate on people and to improve the quality of life in the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of the urban heat island (UHI) in Warsaw over the years 2011-2012 has been conducted on the basis of the monitoring network of thermal conditions in the Warsaw metropolitan area operated by IGSO PAS. It comprises 28 stations complemented by 1 station of the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management. The main objective of the paper is to attempt to analyse the intensity of UHI in Warsaw with the use of the Local Climate Zones method. The yearly average UHI intensity in the city centre is 2.5°C (LCZ compact midrise), within the open high-rise it varies from 1.2°C to 1.7°C (LCZ 4), within the open midrise it deviates from 0.6°C to 1.7°C (LCZ 5). Sparsely built areas in the suburbs are usually cooler than the reference station. The intensity of UHI depends strongly on the distance from the city centre, which determines also the type and density of buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]