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Urban Heat Island and Overheating Characteristics in Sydney, Australia. An Analysis of Multiyear Measurements

Author

Listed:
  • Mat Santamouris

    (Annita Lawrence Chair of High Performance Architecture, Faculty of Built Environment, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia)

  • Shamila Haddad

    (Annita Lawrence Chair of High Performance Architecture, Faculty of Built Environment, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia)

  • Francesco Fiorito

    (Annita Lawrence Chair of High Performance Architecture, Faculty of Built Environment, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia)

  • Paul Osmond

    (Annita Lawrence Chair of High Performance Architecture, Faculty of Built Environment, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia)

  • Lan Ding

    (Annita Lawrence Chair of High Performance Architecture, Faculty of Built Environment, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia)

  • Deo Prasad

    (Annita Lawrence Chair of High Performance Architecture, Faculty of Built Environment, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia)

  • Xiaoqiang Zhai

    (Institute of Refrigeration and Cryogenics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China)

  • Ruzhu Wang

    (Institute of Refrigeration and Cryogenics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China)

Abstract

It has become increasingly important to study the urban heat island phenomenon due to the adverse effects on summertime cooling energy demand, air and water quality and most importantly, heat-related illness and mortality. The present article analyses the magnitude and the characteristics of the urban heat island in Sydney, Australia. Climatic data from six meteorological stations distributed around the greater Sydney region and covering a period of 10 years are used. It is found that both strong urban heat island (UHI) and oasis phenomena are developed. The average maximum magnitude of the phenomena may exceed 6 K. The intensity and the characteristics of the phenomena are strongly influenced by the synoptic weather conditions and in particular the development of the sea breeze and the westerly winds from the desert area. The magnitude of the urban heat island varies between 0 and 11°C, as a function of the prevailing weather conditions. The urban heat island mainly develops during the warm summer season while the oasis phenomenon is stronger during the winter and intermediate seasons. Using data from an extended network of stations the distribution of Cooling Degree Days in the greater Sydney area is calculated. It is found that because of the intense development of the UHI, Cooling Degree Days in Western Sydney are about three times higher than in the Eastern coastal zone. The present study will help us to better design and implement urban mitigation strategies to counterbalance the impact of the urban heat island in the city.

Suggested Citation

  • Mat Santamouris & Shamila Haddad & Francesco Fiorito & Paul Osmond & Lan Ding & Deo Prasad & Xiaoqiang Zhai & Ruzhu Wang, 2017. "Urban Heat Island and Overheating Characteristics in Sydney, Australia. An Analysis of Multiyear Measurements," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-21, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:9:y:2017:i:5:p:712-:d:97180
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Ilias Petrou & Nikolaos Kyriazis & Pavlos Kassomenos, 2023. "Evaluating the Spatial and Temporal Characteristics of Summer Urban Overheating through Weather Types in the Attica Region, Greece," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-15, July.
    2. Xinjun Wang & Haoming Cheng & Juan Xi & Guoying Yang & Yanwen Zhao, 2018. "Relationship between Park Composition, Vegetation Characteristics and Cool Island Effect," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-14, February.
    3. Bohong Zheng & Rui Guo & Komi Bernard Bedra & Yanfen Xiang, 2022. "Quantitative Evaluation of Urban Style at Street Level: A Case Study of Hengyang County, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-28, March.
    4. Easthope, Hazel & Palmer, Jasmine & Sharam, Andrea & Nethercote, Megan & Pignatta, Gloria & Crommelin, Laura, 2023. "Delivering sustainable apartment housing: New build and retrofit," SocArXiv z6yn4, Center for Open Science.
    5. Hassan Saeed Khan & Riccardo Paolini & Mattheos Santamouris & Peter Caccetta, 2020. "Exploring the Synergies between Urban Overheating and Heatwaves (HWs) in Western Sydney," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-17, January.
    6. Peter W. Newton & Briony C. Rogers, 2020. "Transforming Built Environments: Towards Carbon Neutral and Blue-Green Cities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-25, June.
    7. Nicole T Cook & Sophie-May Kerr, 2024. "Assembling high-rise: The uneven agencies of air in suburban densification in the Anthropocene," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 61(7), pages 1308-1326, May.
    8. Peng Ren & Xinxin Zhang & Haoyan Liang & Qinglin Meng, 2019. "Assessing the Impact of Land Cover Changes on Surface Urban Heat Islands with High-Spatial-Resolution Imagery on a Local Scale: Workflow and Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1-24, September.

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