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- Climate walking: A comparison study of mobile weather stations and their relevance for urban planning, design, human health and well-beingPublication . Silva, Tiago; Ramusga, R.; Matias, Márcia; Amaro, J.; Bonifácio, Ana; Reis, Cláudia; Chokhachian, A.; Lopes, G.; Almeida, A.; Frazão, J.; Vasconcelos, J.; Lopes, António; Morgado, PauloMicroclimate conditions affect the outdoor urban way of life for humans. These conditions directly impact people’s health and well-being, such as access to medical care or a healthy lifestyle. Human thermal comfort is paramount for people’s health, both physical and mental. In this paper, the study compares two microclimate mobile weather stations (MWS) based on a set of users’-based assessment criteria (usability, user-friendliness, sensors) and thermal comfort (UTCI) results accuracy. The comparison was carried out through continuous mobile transect measurements lasting an hour and a half, conducted on two summer days in Lisbon across distinct urban morphological settings. This research was developed to assist future researchers in urban climatology with the design of microscale studies, particularly in relation to equipment selection, performance assessment, and methodological procedures. In terms of performance, we found the RMSE to be 1.3 ◦C for air temperature, 1.6 % for relative humidity, 1.3 m/s for wind speed, and 8.4 W/m2 for solar radiation for MWS 1, and 1.5 ◦C for air temperature, 2.9 % for relative humidity, 1.5 m/s for wind speed, and 11.6 W/m2 for radiation for MWS 2. Both MWS units exhibited a consistent performance, however, MWS 1 demonstrated greater overall accuracy, particularly in the measurement of air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed. Differences were also observed between the sensors of MWS 1 and MWS 2, as well as in the MWS usability, factors which may be significant depending on the users’ objectives and available resources. Despite this, both MWS units were deemed suitable for deployment in urban environments, with MWS 2 offering a more intuitive user experience. The findings of this study are particularly relevant for those beginning mobile meteorological measurements, as well as for researchers aiming to address urban heat stress and enhance public well-being and thermal comfort through their work. However, the study is limited by its short duration and geographic scope, and further research is needed to expand its applicability to diverse urban settings.
- Human thermo-physiological comfort assessment in Lisbon by local climate zones on very hot summer daysPublication . Reis, Cláudia; Nouri, A. Santos; Lopes, AntónioExtreme heat is a current and future issue on urban areas, with negative impacts on health and quality of life (increasing morbidity and mortality rates). This paper analyses day (12:00–15:00 h) and nighttime (00:00–03:00 h) thermophysiological comfort (TC) conditions by Local Climate Zones (LCZ) in Lisbon during a particular Local Weather Type (LWT), very hot summer days. For this, 13 different microscale sample areas were chosen covering urban and non-urban land cover classes (LCZs 1–3, 4–6, 8, 9, A and B). Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) and Mean Radiant Temperature (MRT) were modeled on SkyHelios software for 163 days between 2008 and 2014. Results show that during the day all urban LCZ samples depict the same average TC conditions (average UTCI of 34°C—strong heat stress) and densely wooded areas are 2°C cooler (average UTCI of 32°C—moderate heat stress). However, compact areas (LCZs 1–3) with low sky view factor and some vegetation (street trees) display lower percentages of area with higher thermo-physiological discomfort (TD) levels (83% with strong heat stress against 98% in LCZs 8 and 9 and 100% in LCZs 4–6). When considering the hottest days (air temperatures equal or above 35°C—75th percentile), the moderate heat stress class disappears in all samples and the very strong heat stress class appears only on urban areas, occupying between 12% and 16% on LCZs 1–3, 10%–22% on LCZs 4–6, 16%–22% on LCZs 8 and 9 on LCZ 9. During the nighttime period all samples show no thermal stress, favoring nocturnal physiological recovery. TC conditions in Lisbon are strongly influenced by solar radiation and wind, which explains the need to increase the shading area, preferably by trees, and to promote and preserve ventilation paths.