Urban heat island and wind flow characteristics of a tropical city

• UHI recorded in Muar, Malaysia was 4 °C during the day and 3.2 °C during the night.
• Effect of different urban geometry modifications on the wind flow was investigated.
• Step up configuration was most effective as it can distribute the wind evenly.
• Step up configuration allows the wind to reach the leeward side of each building.

Urban Heat Island (UHI) has become a growing concern to the quality of densely built urban environments, particularly in tropical cities. Wind speed has widely been reported to have decreased the intensity of heat island effect in urban areas. The cooling effect of the wind helps to mitigate the adverse effects of heat island on the micro climate and human thermal comfort. This paper investigates the existence of heat island in Muar, one of the fast growing cities in southern part of Malaysia and its possible causes, and then examines the effects of different urban geometry on the wind flow. The results of this study indicate that the chaotic development in Muar has caused reduced ventilation in urban canyons. The heat island intensity in the city center was recorded as 4 °C during the day and 3.2 °C during the night. Investigation of various urban geometry modifications showed that step up configuration was the most effective geometry as it can distribute the wind evenly allowing the wind to reach even the leeward side of each building.