Geographia Polonica (2020) vol. 93, iss. 1

Recent trends on human thermal bioclimate conditions in Kyiv, Ukraine

Olga Shevchenko, Sergiy Snizhko, Andreas Matzarakis

Geographia Polonica (2020) vol. 93, iss. 1, pp. 89-106 | Full text
doi: https://doi.org/10.7163/GPol.0164

The human-biometeorological conditions in Kyiv (Ukraine) and changes in the frequency of heat stress during the summer period due to recent climate trends were analyzed. The evaluation based on physiologically equivalent temperature (PET). The results revealed the highest probability of thermal comfortable conditions in Kyiv is from the last 10-day period of April to the end of June and from the last 10-day period of August to the end of September. The probability of heat stress reached nearly 90% during the second and third 10-day periods of July. A pronounced increase in thermal stress during the studied heat wave cases (HW), as well as increasing amount of days with heat stress in the period 1991-2015, were found.

Keywords: human thermal comfort, physiologically equivalent temperature, Kyiv, heat wave, heat stress

Olga Shevchenko [shevchenko_olga@knu.ua], Department of Meteorology and Climatology, Geography Faculty Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv 64/13, Volodymyrska Street, 01601 Kyiv: Ukraine
Sergiy Snizhko [snizhko@knu.ua], Department of Meteorology and Climatology, Geography Faculty Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv 64/13, Volodymyrska Street, 01601 Kyiv: Ukraine
Andreas Matzarakis [andreas.matzarakis@dwd.de], Research Center for Human Biometeorology German Meteorological Service Stefan-Meier-Str. 4, 79 104 Freiburg: Germany; Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg Werthmannstrasse 10, D-79 085 Freiburg: Germany