High-Resolution Datasets for Urban Heat Vulnerability Assessment in Urbanized Areas of the Netherlands

Abstract

The urban heat island effect is increasingly affecting the quality of life in cities, and detailed data is crucial in designing mitigation policies. However, weather stations are predominantly situated outside urban environments, limiting their ability to represent the varying air temperatures within street canyons. This data paper addresses this limitation by presenting a dataset of the modeled daily maximum Urban Heat Island (UHI_max) effect across 99 Dutch municipalities during the summer of 2023. This is achieved by implementing a semi-empirical equation which incorporates readily available meteorological variables and two key urban morphological indicators, namely the sky view factor and fractional vegetation cover. Two primary datasets are presented: (1) a high-resolution dataset of modeled UHI_max, and (2) a Sky View Factor dataset. Both datasets are provided in GeoTIFF format at a 5-meter spatial resolution. Additionally, this paper presents a straightforward methodology for obtaining UHI_max values for other periods. The datasets and accompanying methodology provide valuable resources for advancing urban climate research, urban planning, and heat mitigation strategies in the Netherlands.