Publication Date:
2019
Description:
〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉
〈p〉In this study, we investigate spatial differences in thermal comfort conditions using the net effective temperature (〈em〉NET〈/em〉) considering the synthetic effects of air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed. Using a daily-scale dataset of maximum air temperature (〈em〉T〈/em〉〈sub〉max〈/sub〉), relative humidity, and wind speed from 518 stations during 1960–2016 across China, we analyze the influence of different climate conditions on 〈em〉NET〈/em〉 or 〈em〉T〈/em〉〈sub〉max〈/sub〉 at three different levels of hot conditions (35 °C 〈 〈em〉T〈/em〉〈sub〉max〈/sub〉 〈em〉〈〈/em〉 37 °C, 〈em〉NET〈/em〉〈sub〉〈em〉T〈/em〉max35〈/sub〉 for 〈em〉HT〈/em〉〈sub〉35〈/sub〉 cases; 37 °C 〈 〈em〉T〈/em〉〈sub〉max〈/sub〉 〈em〉〈〈/em〉 40 °C, 〈em〉NET〈/em〉〈sub〉〈em〉T〈/em〉max37〈/sub〉 for 〈em〉HT〈/em〉〈sub〉37〈/sub〉 cases; 〈em〉NET =〈/em〉 27 °C, 〈em〉NET〈/em〉〈sub〉27〈/sub〉 cases). In 〈em〉HT〈/em〉〈sub〉35〈/sub〉 (〈em〉HT〈/em〉〈sub〉37〈/sub〉) cases, 〈em〉NET〈/em〉〈sub〉〈em〉T〈/em〉max35〈/sub〉 (〈em〉NET〈/em〉〈sub〉〈em〉T〈/em〉max37〈/sub〉) can reach up to 32 °C (34 °C) in southern China and also can be less than 29 °C (31 °C) in western Northwest China. In 〈em〉NET〈/em〉〈sub〉27〈/sub〉 cases as the threshold for the thermal sensation of very hot, 〈em〉T〈/em〉〈sub〉max〈/sub〉 should be over 33 °C in western Northwest China and was less than 30.5 °C in southern China, by contrast. With global warming, there is an increasing trend in the number of extreme hot days in most part of China, but a decreasing trend is detected in the part of Jianghuai region, partly due to the decreasing trend in 〈em〉T〈/em〉〈sub〉max〈/sub〉〈em〉.〈/em〉〈/p〉
Print ISSN:
0177-798X
Electronic ISSN:
1434-4483
Topics:
Geosciences
,
Physics
