Aspects of thermal discomfort during summer over a tropical city--Delhi (India).
The changes in the city configuration modify the temperature and humidity of the urban and its adjacent biosphere, which affect thermal discomfort and inadvertently modify the city climate. Assessing the urban climate in a physiological significance manner require the use of method of human biometeorology. In the present paper, temperature and humidity for 40 diverse locations over Delhi are analyzed for thermal discomfort during summers of 1998 and 1999. The small-scale spatial variations of discomfort index (DI) associated with heat island intensity (HII) are discussed. Long-term changes in the urban thermal discomfort as a sequel of urbanization have also been elucidated through the examination of thermo-hygrometric index (THI) trend, during summer. Results showed the significant spatial variation of DI associated with pockets of HII corresponding to the industrial, commercial and densely populated urban areas. Based on the analysis, the entire city is found to be falling under discomfort and partial discomfort category.
Das
Yashvant
Y
Centre for Atmospheric Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi. yashvantdas@hotmail.com
Padmanabhamurty
B
B
D001831:Body Temperature; D002958:City Planning; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity; D007194:India; D010146:Pain; D012621:Seasons; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D014505:Urban Population; D014507:Urbanization