Seasonal distribution of urban heat island intensity in Belgrade (Serbia)

Abstract

The aim of this study is to quantify the intensity of the urban heat island in Belgrade through the seasons. Air temperature observations from 23 meteorological stations in Serbia in the period 1949–2008 were analyzed. Using cluster analysis, we identify the group of stations which the data from the meteorological station Belgrade are the most similar to. It has been shown that, through all the seasons, air temperatures in Belgrade are significantly higher than the average in the wider surroundings. The greatest difference is in winter (1.4 °C), and the smallest is in summer, when it is 0.9 °C. It is greater in fall (1.2 °C) than during spring months, when it is 1.0 °C. Although the contribution of air temperatures in Belgrade to the increase of the average value of air temperature in its cluster is statistically significant, it is without any practical significance.