Skip to main content

Mapping the Universal Thermal Climate Index (In Different Scales)

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Applications of the Universal Thermal Climate Index UTCI in Biometeorology

Part of the book series: Biometeorology ((BIOMET,volume 4))

  • 505 Accesses

Abstract

One of the important aims of climatic and bioclimatic studies is to define spatial differentiation of particular climate elements and/or bioclimatic indicators. Several approaches are used for this purpose. Isoline maps aim to create spatial variability of any climate variable based on data points from a network of meteorological stations. The second commonly used visualisation method is based on typological maps, which assume that values observed in particular locations represent wider areas with similar properties of natural and socio-economic environment. The combination of isoline and typological approach are raster maps. In these maps, the space is divided into several regular geometrical fields (raster). For each raster, meteorological variables and bioclimatic indices are defined. The aim of the chapter is to present methods of cartographical representation of the Universal Thermal Climate Index in different spatial scales (global, regional, local).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 109.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. 1.

    According to the “Encyclopedia of balneology, physical medicine, bioclimatology and health resort geology” (Ponikowska 2015) there are three principal forms of climate therapy: heliotherapy (using in treatment the exposure to direct solar radiation during sun bathing), aerotherapy (exposure to complex weather stimuli during air bathing) and terrain kinesitherapy (exposure to complex weather stimuli during outdoor physical activity, e.g. walking, jogging, biking etc.).

References

  • Anderberg MR (1973) Cluster analysis for applications. Academic Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Błażejczyk K (1990) Biotopoclimatic differentiation of selected types of landscape. IGiPZ PAN Conf Pap 4:175–187

    Google Scholar 

  • Błażejczyk K, Krawczyk B, Skoczek J (eds) (1992) Topoclimatic and microclimatic research in various climate zones. Zeszyty IGiPZ PAN 5

    Google Scholar 

  • Błażejczyk K (2001) Human heat balance as a tool in bioclimatic research. Przegląd Geogr 73(4):535–554

    Google Scholar 

  • Błażejczyk, K. (2002). Influence of air circulation and local factors on climate and bioclimate of Warsaw agglomeration. Dokumentacja Geograficzna 26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Błażejczyk K (2004) Radiation balance in man in various meteorological and geographical conditions. Geogr Pol 77(1):63–76

    Google Scholar 

  • Błażejczyk K, Błażejczyk M (2010) BioKlima© 2.6, Program komputerowy. http://www.igipz.pan.pl/Bioklima-zgik.html

  • Błażejczyk K (2011) Mapping of UTCI in local scale (the case of Warsaw). Prace i Studia Geograficzne WGSR UW 47:275–283

    Google Scholar 

  • Błażejczyk K (2013) Distribution of universal thermal climate index (UTCI) in Warsaw. Geogr Pol 86(1):79–80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Błażejczyk K, Błażejczyk A (2014) Assessment of bioclimatic variability on regional and local scales in Central Europe using UTCI. Scientific Annals of “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi, 60, 1, s. IIc, Geography series:67–82

    Google Scholar 

  • Błażejczyk K, Kunert A (2011) Bioclimatic principles of recreation and tourism in Poland, 2nd edn. Monografie IGiPZ PAN, vol 13, Warszawa

    Google Scholar 

  • Błażejczyk K, Nejedlik P, Skrynyk O, Halaś A, Skrynyk O, Baranowski J, Mikulova K (2020a) Thermal stress in northern carpathians and air circulation. Misc Geogr. https://doi.org/10.2478/mgrsd-2020-0022.9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Błażejczyk, A., Kuchcik, M., Baranowski, J. & Błażejczyk, K. (2020b) Assessment of therapeutic properties of climate in Przerzeczyn health resort. Manuscript, available by request at bioklimatologia@wp.pl.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boko NPM, Medeou KF, Vissin EW, Błażejczyk K, Houssou CS (2014) Caracterisation des ambiances bioclimatiques dans les villes littorales du Benin (Afrique de l’ouest). In: Proceedings XXVIIe colloque de l’association internationale de climatologie 2–5 juillet 2014—Dijon (France), pp 605–611

    Google Scholar 

  • Brecht BM (2019) Die urbane wärmebelastung unter einfluss lokaler faktoren und zukünftiger klimaänderungen. PhD thesis, KIT-Fakultät für Physik des Karlsruher Instituts fürTechnologie (KIT)

    Google Scholar 

  • CDS (2020) Thermal comfort indices derived from ERA5 reanalysis. https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.553b7518

  • Di Napoli C, Barnard Ch, Prudhomme Ch, Cloke HL, Pappenberger F (2020) ERA5-HEAT: A global gridded historical dataset of human thermal comfort indices from climate reanalysis. Geosci Data J. https://doi.org/10.1002/gdj3.102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Di Napoli C, Barnard C, Prudhomme C, Pappenberger F (2020b) A heat health hazard index based on ECMWF data. https://www.ecmwf.int/en/newsletter/162/news/heat-health-hazard-index-based-ecmwf-data

  • Di Napoli C, Pappenberger F, Cloke HL (2018) Assessing heat-related health risk in Europe via the universal thermal climate index (UTCI). Int J Biometeorol 62:1155–1165

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dobek M, Demczuk P, Nowosad M (2013) Spatial variation of the universal thermal climate index in Lublin in specified weather scenarios. Ann Univ Mariae Curie-Skłodowska, Lub-Pol, Sect B 68(1):21–37

    Google Scholar 

  • Erell E, Pearlmutter D, Williamson T (2011) Urban microclimate: designing the spaces between buildings. Routledge, London

    Google Scholar 

  • ESOTC (2019) Climate in 2019, Spotlight on heat and cold stress. https://climate.copernicus.eu/ESOTC/2019/heat-and-cold-stress

  • Ge Q, Kong Q, Xi J, Zheng J (2017) Application of UTCI in China from tourism perspective. Theoret Appl Climatol 128:551–561

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geiger R (1969) Topoclimates. In: Landsberg HE, Flohn H (eds) World survey of climatology, vol 2. General Climatology, 2. Elsevier, Amsterdam-London-New York, pp 105–138

    Google Scholar 

  • Grzybowski J (ed) (1990) The questions of contemporary topoclimatology. In: IGiPZ PAN conference papers, vol 4

    Google Scholar 

  • IDRISI Taiga: Guide to GIS and Image Processing (2009) http://web.pdx.edu/~nauna/resources/TaigaManual.pdf

  • Kong Q, Ge Q, Zheng J (2017) Spatio-temporal changes in extreme UTCI indices in China. Geogr Res 36(6):1171–1182

    Google Scholar 

  • Kozłowska-Szczęsna T, Błażejczyk K, Krawczyk B (1996) Atlas of Warsaw, No 4, Natural geographical environment. IGiPZ PAN, Warszawa

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuchcik M (ed) (2001) Contemporary topoclimatic research. In: Dokumentacja geograficzna IGiPZ PAN, vol 23

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuchcik M, Błażejczyk K, Halaś A (2021) Long-term changes in hazardous heat and cold stress in humans: multi-city study in Poland. Int J Biometeorol. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-020-02069-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kunert A (2010) Modeling of UTCI index in various types of landscape. In: Matzarakis A, Mayer H, Chmielewski F-M, (eds), Proceedings 7th conference of biometeorology, berichte des meteorologischen instituts der albert-ludwigs-universität freiburg, vol 20, pp 302–307

    Google Scholar 

  • Kunert A, Błażejczyk K (2011) Local-scale air-temperature differences in various types of Poland’s landscape. Przegląd Geogr 83(1):69–90

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matuschek O, Matzarakis A (2011) A mapping tool for climatological applications. Meteorol Appl 18(2):230–237

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mieczkowski Z (1985) The tourism climatic index: a method of evaluating world climates for tourism. Can Geogr/le Géographe Can 29(3):220–233

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Milewski P (2013) Application of the UTCI to the local bioclimate of Poland’s Ziemia Kłodzka region. Geogr Pol 86(1):47–54

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nusrat S, Kobourov S (2016) The state of the art in cartograms. In: Maciejewski R, Ropinski T, Vilanova A (eds), EuroVis 2016, STAR—state of the art report, vol 35 (3)

    Google Scholar 

  • Oke TR (1987) Boundary layer climates, 2nd edn. Methuen, London—New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Pappenberger F, Jendritzky G, Staiger H, Dutra E, Di Giuseppe F, Richardson DS, Cloke HL (2015) Global forecasting of thermal health hazards: the skill of probabilistic predictions of the universal thermal climate index (UTCI). Int J Biometeorol 59(3):311–323

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Park S, Tuller SE, Jo M (2014) Application of universal thermal climate index (UTCI) for microclimatic analysis in urban thermal environments. Landsc Urban Plan 125:146–155

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paszyński J, Miara K, Skoczek J (1999) The energy exchange at the earth−atmosphere bound−ary as a base for topoclimatological mapping. Dokumentacja Geograficzna nr, 14

    Google Scholar 

  • Peel MC, Finlayson BL, McMahon TA (2007) Updated world map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification. Hydrol Earth Syst Sci 11(5):1633–1644

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ponikowska I (ed) (2015) Encyclopedia of balneology, physical medicine, bioclimatology and health resort geology. Aluna, Konstancin-Jeziorna. (REFERENCE NOT IN THE TEXT)

    Google Scholar 

  • Provençal S, Bergeron O, Leduc R, Barrette N (2016) Thermal comfort in Quebec City, Canada: sensitivity analysis of the UTCI and other popular thermal comfort indices in a mid-latitude continental city. Int J Biometeorol 60(4):591–603

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roshan G, Yousefi R, Błażejczyk K (2018) Assessment of the climatic potential for tourism in Iran through biometeorology clustering. Int J Biometeorol 62(4):525–542

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Słowińska S, Słowiński M, Lamentowicz M (2010) Relationships between Local Climate and Hydrology in Sphagnum Mire: Implications for Palaeohydrological Studies and Ecosystem Management. Pol J Environ Stud 19(4)

    Google Scholar 

  • Tomczyk AM, Owczarek M (2020) Occurrence of strong and very strong heat stress in Poland and its circulation conditions. Theor Appl Climatol 139(3):893–905

    Google Scholar 

  • Trimmel H, Weihs P, Faroux S, Formayer H, Hamer P, Hasel K, Laimighofer J, Leidinger D, Masson V, Nadeem I, Oswald SM, Revesz M, Schoetter R (2019) Thermal conditions during heat waves of a mid-European metropolis under consideration of climate change, urban development scenarios and resilience measures for the mid-21st century. Meteorol Z. (Contrib. Atm. Sci.), PrePub https://doi.org/10.1127/metz/2019/0966

  • Ustrnul Z, Czekierda D (2003) Construstion of the air temperature maps for Poland using GIS. Archiwum Fotogrametrii, Kartografii i Teledetekcji 13ªA:243–254

    Google Scholar 

  • Vinogradova V (2020) Using the universal thermal climate index (UTCI) for the assessment of bioclimatic conditions in Russia. Int J Biometeorol. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-020-01901-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu F, Yang X, Shen Z (2019) Regional and seasonal variations of outdoor thermal comfort in China from 1966 to 2016. Sci Total Environ 665:1003–1016

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zeng D, Wu J, Mu Y, Deng M, Wei Y, Sun W (2020) Spatial-temporal pattern changes of UTCI in the China-Pakistan economic corridor in recent 40 years. Atmosphere 11:858. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11080858

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Krzysztof Błażejczyk .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Błażejczyk, K., Błażejczyk, A. (2021). Mapping the Universal Thermal Climate Index (In Different Scales). In: Krüger, E.L. (eds) Applications of the Universal Thermal Climate Index UTCI in Biometeorology. Biometeorology, vol 4. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76716-7_8

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics