Thermal Stress and urban influence in the Metropolitan Area of Madrid

Abstract

This contribution evaluates the influence of a large city, Madrid, and their different land uses and urban structures on the regional bioclimatic conditions through the analysis of the spatial patterns of the Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET). A clear climatic contrast exists between the urbanized areas and the regional rural background, being PET values of 0ºC (winter) and 34ºC (summer) the boundary between both areas. Within the city, significant differences between three areas have been found: the coolest corresponds to the green areas (PET lower than -2ºC in winter and 30ºC in summer); the central built-up areas, densely urbanized, are the warmest (January PET values are above 0ºC, while summer values increase to 35ºC); finally, an intermediate area, whose boundaries are PET values of 0/-2ºC (January) and 30/35ºC (July), coincides with a less compact urban structure, characterized by wide streets and avenues, small gardens and a significant forestry cover between the buildings and the recreation surfaces.