| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 143697 | Urban Climate | 2016 | 16 Pages |
•Tmrt was simulated city-wide and building-resolving.•SOLWEIG was coupled with meteorological data from a regional climate model.•Considering urban-climate modifications and weather conditions is important.•Sensitivity of Tmrt was high to the partitioning of direct and diffuse radiation.•Tmrt was at the day highest in suburban areas of Berlin and in open areas.
This study presents a method to simulate Tmrt building-resolving while considering both micro-scale urban structures and meso-scale atmospheric conditions. We extended the model SOLWEIG, one of the few methods to derive mean radiant temperature (Tmrt) building-resolved and city-wide, to include spatial patterns of meteorological input. Based on a day within an extreme heat event (2003) in Berlin, Germany, we examined the effect of the new method on Tmrt, which uses gridded meteorological input data from a mesoscale weather model, compared to a standard set-up using ungridded data. Results indicted a considerable effect of spatially resolved air temperature (up to 3.2 K) during midnight. Furthermore, we detected high sensitivity of Tmrt to the partitioning of direct and diffuse short-wave radiation. The spatial pattern of Tmrt revealed that at midday the city centre exhibited low values compared to open areas. We conclude that considering meso-scale atmospheric conditions and urban structure for simulating Tmrt city-wide can lead to a more appropriate description of heat-stress hazards and might also be valuable for climate-sensitive urban planning.
