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Basic analysis of climate and urban bioclimate of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

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Abstract

Better understanding of urban microclimate and bioclimate of any city is imperative today when the world is constrained by both urbanisation and global climate change. Urbanisation generally triggers changes in land cover and hence influencing the urban local climate. Dar es Salaam city in Tanzania is one of the fast growing cities. Assessment of its urban climate and the human biometeorological conditions was done using the easily available synoptic meteorological data covering the period 2001–2011. In particular, the physiologically equivalent temperature (PET) was calculated using the RayMan software and results reveal that the afternoon period from December to February (DJF season) is relatively the most thermal stressful period to human beings in Dar es Salaam where PET values of above 35 °C were found. Additionally, the diurnal cycle of the individual meteorological elements that influence the PET index were analysed and found that air temperature of 30–35 °C dominate the afternoon period from 12:00 to 15:00 hours local standard time at about 60 % of occurrence. The current results, though considered as preliminary to the ongoing urban climate study in the city, provide an insight on how urban climate research is of significant importance in providing useful climatic information for ensuring quality of life and wellbeing of city dwellers.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the owners of the Ogimet website for making the synoptic meteorological information freely available on the internet. We also thank the Tanzanian Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MOEVT) and the Germany Academic Exchange Service (DAAD; support to ELN) for financial support during his stay in Freiburg, Germany.

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  1. Professur für Meteorologie und Klimatologie, Albert-Ludwigs University Freiburg, Werthmannstrasse 10, 79085, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany

    Emmanuel L. Ndetto & Andreas Matzarakis

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  1. Emmanuel L. Ndetto
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Correspondence to Emmanuel L. Ndetto.

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Ndetto, E.L., Matzarakis, A. Basic analysis of climate and urban bioclimate of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Theor Appl Climatol 114, 213–226 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-012-0828-2

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