Spatial variability and intensity frequency of surface heat island in a Brazilian city with continental tropical climate through remote sensing

We analyzed Presidente Prudente, a middle-sized city with approximately 223,749 inhabitants (IBGE, 2016), located at the western portion of the São Paulo state, in Brazil. The adopted procedure used 24 clear-sky images from satellite Landsat 8, band 10 - taken between February 2013 and January 2016. Results show that the surface urban heat islands are not constantly intense throughout the year, with the highest magnitudes recorded during the rainy season. The frequency of heat island intensity, at specific image points, is tied to construction density, building materials and vegetation cover ratios. These results are important to devise measures that mitigate heat trapping and surface heat islands formation.