Drought variability and change across the Iberian Peninsula

As a pivotal section of the Silk Road in northwest China, the Hexi Corridor is a popular tourist destination. In this study, the tourism climate conditions in this region were discussed using the Physiologically Equivalent Temperature (PET) and the Climate-Tourism/Transfer-information-Scheme (CTIS) from 1980 to 2012. Overall, cold or cool stress was prevalent in the area, and the optimal travel period was from May to September. With global warming, the annual numbers of cumulative days with relatively cold conditions decreased, and the annual numbers of cumulative days with comfortable and relatively hot conditions increased. Two typical stations, Wushaoling and Dunhuang, were compared and analysed for their tourism climate information according to the frequency of PET and CTIS conditions, respectively. In addition, regional variations in the tourism climate conditions based on geographic information systems (GIS) were investigated during the optimal travel period.     

Thermal comfort and tourism climate changes in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau in the last 50 years

In this paper, the thermal comfort and its changes in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau over the last 50 years have been evaluated by using the physiological equivalent temperature (PET), and a more complete tourism climate picture is presented by the Climate–Tourism–Information Scheme (CTIS). The results show that PET classes in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau cover six out of the nine-point thermal sensation scale — very cold, cold, cool, slightly cool, neutral and slightly warm — and cold stress is prevailing throughout the year. A small number of slightly cool/warm and neutral days occur in summer months. There occur no warm, hot and very hot days. The frequency of PET classes varies among regions, depending on their altitude/latitude conditions. Xining, Lhasa and Yushu are the top three cities in terms of thermal favorability. With global warming, annual cumulative number of thermally favorable days has been increasing, and that of cold stress has been reducing. The change is more obvious in lower elevation than that in higher elevation regions. The improving thermal comfort in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau might be a glad tiding for local communities and tourists. Besides PET, CTIS can provide a number of additional bioclimatic information related to tourism and recreational activities. CTIS for Lhasa and Xining shows that sunshine is plentiful all the year round, and windy days occur frequently from late January to early May. This is a useful bioclimatic information for tourism authorities, travel agencies, resorts and tourists.     

Future climate resources for tourism in Europe based on the daily Tourism Climatic Index

Climate is an important resource for many types of tourism. One of several metrics for the suitability of climate for sightseeing is Mieczkowski’s “Tourism Climatic Index” (TCI), which summarizes and combines seven climate variables. By means of the TCI, we analyse the present climate resources for tourism in Europe and projected changes under future climate change. We use daily data from five regional climate models and compare the reference period 1961–1990 to the A2 scenario in 2071–2100. A comparison of the TCI based on reanalysis data and model simulations for the reference period shows that current regional climate models capture the important climatic patterns. Currently, climate resources are best in Southern Europe and deteriorate with increasing latitude and altitude. With climate change the latitudinal band of favourable climate is projected to shift northward improving climate resources in Northern and Central Europe in most seasons. Southern Europe’s suitability for sightseeing tourism drops strikingly in the summer holiday months but is partially compensated by considerable improvements between October and April.     

Interdecadal change in North Korean winter mean rainfall

In the present study, it was found that there was a significant climate regime shift in 1993 from average rainfall amounts in winter (December of a year and January and February of the next year) in North Korea over the last 30 years (1982–2011). This significant climate regime shift in 1993 also appeared in empirical orthogonal function analysis conducted using the winter mean rainfall amounts observed at 26 weather observation stations in North Korea. The reason why winter mean rainfall amounts in North Korea were smaller during the period of 1994–2011 than during the period of 1982–1994 was that anomalous anticyclone was reinforced in regions near Lake Baikal while anomalous cyclone was reinforced on the sea on the east of Japan so that the winter pressure system pattern (west high-east low pattern) appeared and thus anomalous cold and dry northerlies were reinforced in most East Asian regions including North Korea. To figure out the reason why anomalous anticyclone was reinforced further in the East Asian continent in winters during the period of 1994–2011, differences in water equivalent of accumulated snow depths between the two periods were analyzed. As a result, more snow was observed in most East Asian regions during the period of 1994–2011. Therefore, anomalous anticyclone could be further reinforced in the East Asian continent because surface air temperature dropped further due to snow-albedo effect. The surface air temperature cooling deepened further in the East Asian continent during the period of 1994–2011 due to snow-albedo effect was identified through differences in sensible heat net flux between the two periods.     

广州市城市电力消费对气候变化的响应

低纬度地区的城市电力消费对气候变化有较为敏感的响应。该文引入了气候变化对农业产量和能源影响的研究方法, 分别建立了气候变化对电力消费影响强度的动态评估模型和降温度日模型, 对广州市城市电力消费对气候变化的响应作了深入分析。结果表明:广州市城市电力消费量主要受到气温、湿度、风速等气象因子的影响, 其中气温为关键性因子; 综合考虑各气候因子和气候变化的稳定性, 1956—2005年的近50年, 广州市气候变化对城市电力消费影响强度是持续稳定增加的, 正强度出现的概率呈现出增大趋势, 以10%/10a的速度增长; 通过对广州市降温度日的分析可知, 5—10月为主要的降温时期, 其气温的升高对降温度日强度变化影响很大, 达到46.6%/ ℃, 同时, 广州市的降温期长度变率也呈递增趋势, 因此, 气温的升高引发的降温度日的增加对广州市城市电力消费有深刻影响; 在未来气候变暖情景下, 夏季平均最高气温每升高1 ℃, 广州市全年单位工业产值耗电将增加2.02%, 5—10月的平均气温每升高1 ℃, 居民生活用电量的百分比将增加1.25%。在未来, 气候变暖将使城市用电压力有继续增大的趋势。     

Spatial and temporal temperature trends in Nigeria, 1901–2000

Trends and periodicity analyses can provide information on climate variability inherent in a particular variable. In this study, trend tests and spectral analysis are used to examine the existence of trends and cycles in temperature series (1901–2000) of Nigeria. Periods 1901–1929 and 1942–1980 exhibited cooling trends while 1930–1941 and 1981–2000 showed warming trends. The warmest years in Nigeria were 1941, 1935, 1931 and 1987. The coldest years were 1929, 1975, 1925 and 1974. Whereas no significant trends were detected for 1901–1930 period, the standard period 1931–1960 was marked by significant cooling while 1961–1990 was marked with significant warming. Annual temperature has risen by 0.03?°C/decade during the last century. The overall warming was mostly confined to the south of 12°N especially during April and June. Changes in minimum temperature are higher than that of maximum temperature. The quasi-biennial oscillation was found in annual data for all the six zones with periods of about 2–4?years. Nigeria landscape is under strong North Atlantic Oscillation influence in dry season and under ENSO influence during wet season. Annual temperature series was also found to exhibit significant negative correlation with SOI.     

The Role of Ozone Depletion in the Lack of Cooling in the Antarctic Upper Stratosphere during Austral Winter

Temperature trends in the upper stratosphere are investigated using satellite measurements from Stratospheric Sounding Unit(SSU) outputs and simulations from chemistry–climate models(CCMs) and the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6(CMIP6). Observational evidence shows a lack of cooling in the Antarctic, in contrast to strong cooling at other latitudes, during austral winter over 1979–97. Analysis of CCM simulations for a longer period of1961–97 also shows a significant contrast in the...     

Basic analysis of climate and urban bioclimate of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Better understanding of urban microclimate and bioclimate of any city is imperative today when the world is constrained by both urbanisation and global climate change. Urbanisation generally triggers changes in land cover and hence influencing the urban local climate. Dar es Salaam city in Tanzania is one of the fast growing cities. Assessment of its urban climate and the human biometeorological conditions was done using the easily available synoptic meteorological data covering the period 2001–2011. In particular, the physiologically equivalent temperature (PET) was calculated using the RayMan software and results reveal that the afternoon period from December to February (DJF season) is relatively the most thermal stressful period to human beings in Dar es Salaam where PET values of above 35 °C were found. Additionally, the diurnal cycle of the individual meteorological elements that influence the PET index were analysed and found that air temperature of 30–35 °C dominate the afternoon period from 12:00 to 15:00 hours local standard time at about 60 % of occurrence. The current results, though considered as preliminary to the ongoing urban climate study in the city, provide an insight on how urban climate research is of significant importance in providing useful climatic information for ensuring quality of life and wellbeing of city dwellers.     

兰州市旅游气候舒适度与客流量关系分析

基于兰州市1981—2010年的气象观测资料,采用温湿指数、风效指数和着衣指数3个指标,对兰州市旅游气候舒适度进行分析评价。结果表明,兰州市全年旅游气候舒适期可达7个月,旅游最舒适月份从5月持续到9月,不适宜期主要集中在冬季的1月、12月。结合2010—2014年兰州市旅游客流量年内变化数据,划分了兰州市旅游淡旺季和客流量月指数;综合分析客流量月指数与三个指数关系得出:客流量年内变化与气候舒适度呈明显的相关性,客流量月指数与温湿指数、风效指数呈正相关,与着衣指数呈负相关,且3个指数与客流量月指数相关性较好,都在0.7以上。     

巩乃斯避暑旅游气象指数分析与评价

根据巩乃斯、和静站2009—2018年6—8月的逐日平均气温、最高气温、相对湿度、风速等气象观测资料,采用对比分析、通径分析及模糊综合评价等方法对巩乃斯地区夏季避暑旅游气象资源优势进行分析和评价.结果表明:巩乃斯夏季气候凉爽、湿度适宜、风速不大,人体感觉凉爽、舒适,适合避暑旅行.人体舒适度与空气温度呈显著正相关,与相对...     

辽宁避暑旅游气候条件分析和气象指数研究

对辽宁14个主要避暑旅游景区2006—2015年的日平均气温、最高气温、降水量、日照时数和相对湿度资料分析结果表明:地处内陆及渤海中部、北部沿岸的避暑旅游景区高温强度强,频次高;地处渤海湾、黄海北部沿岸、丹东东南部景区高温强度弱,频次低。辽宁避暑旅游景区沿海相对湿度大于山区的;总降水量东部山区多,中部和南部沿海的较少。辽宁沿海旅游景区6月份适宜避暑,7—8月气温偏高,相对湿度大,略显湿热;中部景区地处内陆,相对湿度较小,偏干燥,6月和8月适宜避暑,7月气温偏高;东部山区气温低、湿度适中,避暑条件相对优越,6—8月均适宜避暑。根据气候分析结果,建立避暑气象指数,并将避暑旅游气象指数划分为4级,级别内涵对应适宜避暑的程度,由1级至4级避暑旅游适宜程度依次下降。对避暑旅游气象指数的研究,可为旅游气候资源综合开发,旅行社和游客合理安排避暑旅游度假时间和地点,以及气象部门开展旅游气象服务提供科学依据。     

Falling Lake Victoria water levels: Is climate a contributing factor?

Recently, and perhaps most threatening, Lake Victoria water level has been receding at an alarming rate. A recent study suggested the possibility of the expanded hydroelectric power station in Uganda. However, since the lake receives 80% of its refill through direct rainfall and only 20% from the basin discharge, climatic contributions cannot be ignored, since the 80% water is directly dependant on it. It is therefore necessary to investigate climatic contribution to the declining Lake Victoria water level observed over a long period, i.e., 30 years. This contribution uses 30 years period anomalies for rainfall, river discharge and lake level changes of stations within Lake Victoria basin to analyse linear and cyclic trends of climate indicators in relation to Lake levels. Linear trend analysis using the Student’s t test indicate a decreasing pattern in rainfall anomalies, with the slope being statistically similar to those of water levels at both Kisumu, Maziba and Jinja stations for the same period of time (1976–1999), thus showing a strong correlation. On the other hand, cyclic trend analysis using Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) shows cyclic period of water level to coincide with those of droughts and rainfall. The strong relationship between climatic indicators of drought and rainfall on one-hand and lake levels on the other hand signifies the need to incorporate climate information in predicting, monitoring and managing lake level changes.     

Climatic trends in Israel 1970–2002: warmer and increasing aridity inland

Climatic trends in Israel during the period 1970–2002 were studied in detail on the basis of three parameters: average annual temperature, annual precipitation and the annual aridity (humidity) index P/PET (P = Precipitation; PET = Potential Evapotranspiration). Significant warming is evident in all 12 evaluated meteorological stations, situated in different parts of Israel. Along the Mediterranean coast, the average annual precipitation and P/PET values remained more or less at the same level. However, more inland, both eastward and southward, precipitation and P/PET trends are declining, indicating increased aridity. Eilat, Beer Sheva and Sedom Pans, situated in the desert, showed the most significant increase in aridity among the 12 meteorological stations we investigated. The relationship between changes in temperature and precipitation showed a negative correlation in all cases except for Eilat, the southernmost and driest part of Israel. The negative correlations for Negba, Kefar Blum, Har Kena’an, Beer Sheva and Sedom Pans are statistically significant. In conclusion, the climate in Israel has become more arid in most regions, except for the coastal plain.     

丽水山地夏季避暑旅游气候适宜度评价

利用2015—2019年丽水市283个气象观测站的逐日和逐时资料,采用中国气象局“避暑旅游气候适宜度评价方法”行业标准,在研究避暑旅游气候适宜度时空分布的基础上,运用GIS平台建立不同地形条件下避暑旅游适宜度地理推算模型,对丽水避暑旅游气候适宜度进行区划。结果表明,丽水山地夏季避暑旅游气候适宜等级为很适宜,所占区域居绝对比重。6月丽水各站避暑适宜度为很适宜,以海拔800 m为界,随着海拔高度的升高,适宜度先增后减。7—8月避暑旅游气候适宜度随海拔高度增加而提升,300 m以上为较适宜及以上级别。地理推算模型表明,丽水避暑旅游气候适宜度与海拔高度密切相关,庆元适宜及以上等级区域面积占比为全市最高,避暑旅游气候条件最优,其次景宁、遂昌、龙泉避暑旅游气候适宜度也较优越。     

Analysis of high-resolution simulations for the Black Forest region from a point of view of tourism climatology �C a comparison between two regional climate models (REMO and CLM)

An analysis of climate simulations from a point of view of tourism climatology based on two regional climate models, namely REMO and CLM, was performed for a regional domain in the southwest of Germany, the Black Forest region, for two time frames, 1971?C2000 that represents the twentieth century climate and 2021?C2050 that represents the future climate. In that context, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scenarios A1B and B1 are used. The analysis focuses on human-biometeorological and applied climatologic issues, especially for tourism purposes ?C that means parameters belonging to thermal (physiologically equivalent temperature, PET), physical (precipitation, snow, wind), and aesthetic (fog, cloud cover) facets of climate in tourism. In general, both models reveal similar trends, but differ in their extent. The trend of thermal comfort is contradicting: it tends to decrease in REMO, while it shows a slight increase in CLM. Moreover, REMO reveals a wider range of future climate trends than CLM, especially for sunshine, dry days, and heat stress. Both models are driven by the same global coupled atmosphere?Cocean model ECHAM5/MPI-OM. Because both models are not able to resolve meso- and micro-scale processes such as cloud microphysics, differences between model results and discrepancies in the development of even those parameters (e.g., cloud formation and cover) are due to different model parameterization and formulation. Climatic changes expected by 2050 are small compared to 2100, but may have major impacts on tourism as for example, snow cover and its duration are highly vulnerable to a warmer climate directly affecting tourism in winter. Beyond indirect impacts are of high relevance as they influence tourism as well. Thus, changes in climate, natural environment, demography, tourists?? demands, among other things affect economy in general. The analysis of the CLM results and its comparison with the REMO results complete the analysis performed within the project Climate Trends and Sustainable Development of Tourism in Coastal and Low Mountain Range Regions (CAST) funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).     

Relevance of thermal environment to human health: a case study of Ondo State, Nigeria

The interconnection between weather and climate and the performance, well-being, and human health cannot be overemphasized. The relationship between them is of both local and global significance. Information about weather, climate, and thermal environment is very important to human health and medical practitioners. The most crucial environmental information needed by medical practitioners and for maintaining human health, performance, and well-being are thermal conditions. The study used meteorological variables: air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, solar radiation, and RayMan model as an analytical tool to compute physiologically equivalent temperature (PET) in order to assess thermo-physiological thresholds in Ondo State. The study revealed that there are marked spatial and seasonal variations in the environmental thermal conditions in the study area. The results of physiologically equivalent temperature for different grades of thermal sensation and physiological stress on human beings indicate that about 60 % of the total study period (1998–2008) fall under physiological stress level of moderate heat stress (PET 31–36 °C). In derived savannah, 32.6 % out of the total study period was under strong heat stress. In view of this, the study concluded that Ondo State may likely be prone to heat-related ailments and that some of the death recorded in the State, in recent times, may be heat-related mortality, but this is difficult to ascertain because there is no postmortem records in Nigeria where it could be confirmed. This type of study is relevant to help government to improve health care interventions and achieve Millennium Development Goals in health sector.     

Temperature reconstruction from tree-ring maximum latewood density of Qinghai spruce in middle Hexi Corridor, China

Seven different tree-ring parameters (tree-ring width, earlywood width, latewood width, maximum density, minimum density, mean earlywood density, and mean latewood density) were obtained from Qinghai spruce (Picea crassifolia) at one chronology site in the Hexi Corridor, China. The chronologies were analyzed individually and then compared with each other. Growth–climate response analyses showed that the tree-ring width and maximum latewood density (MXD) are mainly influenced by warm season temperature variability. Based on the relationships derived from the climate response analysis, the MXD chronology was used to reconstruct the May–August maximum temperature for the period 1775–2008 A.D., and it explained the 38.1% of the total temperature variance. It shows cooling in the late 1700s to early 1800s and warming in the twentieth century. Spatial climate correlation analyses with gridded land surface data revealed that our warm season temperature reconstruction contains a strong large-scale temperature signal for north China. Comparison with regional and Northern Hemisphere reconstructions revealed similar low-frequency change to longer-term variability. Several cold years coincide with major volcanic eruptions.     

Temporal change of climate zones in China in the context of climate warming

In China, ten climate types were classified using the K-means cluster analysis based on monthly temperature and precipitation data from 753 national meteorological stations for the period 1966–2005. However, 11 mountain climate stations, which are located in southeast China, were classified as one type due to their distinct climate characteristic that differentiated them from other stations. This type could not represent the climate characteristic of this region because all climate stations in this type were located at high-elevation mountains. Thus, it was eliminated when defining climate zones based on climate types. Therefore, nine climate zones were defined in China. Moreover, the temporal change of climate zones was detected in 20-year intervals (1966–1985 and 1986–2005). Although 48 stations changed their climate zones between these two periods, the whole pattern of all climate zones remained stable in these two periods. However, the boundaries between some climate zones changed slightly due to inconsistent variation of regional temperature and precipitation. The most obvious change was the eastern movement of the boundary between an arid temperate zone and a sub-humid temperate zone. There was also a northern shift of the boundary between a tropic zone and a southern subtropic zone. All these changes were probably connected with the climate change in recent 40 years.     

呼包鄂地区气候舒适度时空变化及其关键气象因子分析

基于1970—2019年呼和浩特、包头、鄂尔多斯(呼包鄂)地区25个气象站日值,以温湿指数、风效指数、着衣指数及舒适度综合指数为气候舒适度评价指标,利用趋势分析法、M-K突变检验法、通径分析法,对该地区的气候舒适度指数变化特征、影响舒适度指数的关键气象因子及舒适日数的空间分布特征进行分析。结果表明：呼包鄂地区近50 a的温湿指数、风效指数、舒适度综合指数呈显著上升趋势,着衣指数呈显著下降趋势;综合舒适期为4—10月,舒适日数在5—9月达到68%—93%,其中6—8月全月为舒适或较舒适日,在20世纪90年代内蒙古中部气候变化背景下,温湿舒适性和风效舒适性向暖转变,人体综合舒适度越来越高,适宜居住、旅游和避暑;影响该地区气候舒适度的关键气象因子是温度和风速,其次是日照;舒适和较舒适日数整体呈“北少南多”分布,舒适日数分布整体呈波动变化,较舒适级日数整体持续增多。工业生产、人类活动、生态环境在一定程度上影响气候舒适和较舒适日数。     

Influence of ENSO and the South Atlantic Ocean on climate predictability over Southeastern South America

We perform a systematic study of the predictability of surface air temperature and precipitation in Southeastern South America (SESA) using ensembles of AGCM simulations, focusing on the role of the South Atlantic and its interaction with the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). It is found that the interannual predictability of climate over SESA is strongly tied to ENSO showing high predictability during the seasons and periods when there is ENSO influence. The most robust ENSO signal during the whole period of study (1949–2006) is during spring when warm events tend to increase the precipitation over Southeastern South America. Moreover, the predictability shows large inter-decadal changes: for the period 1949–1977, the surface temperature shows high predictability during late fall and early winter. On the other hand, for the period 1978–2006, the temperature shows (low) predictability only during winter, while the precipitation shows not only high predictability in spring but also in fall. Furthermore, it is found that the Atlantic does not directly affect the climate over SESA. However, the experiments where air–sea coupling is allowed in the south Atlantic suggest that this ocean can act as a moderator of the ENSO influence. During warm ENSO events the ocean off Brazil and Uruguay tends to warm up through changes in the atmospheric heat fluxes, altering the atmospheric anomalies and the predictability of climate over SESA. The main effect of the air–sea coupling is to strengthen the surface temperature anomalies over SESA; changes in precipitation are more subtle. We further found that the thermodynamic coupling can increase or decrease the predictability. For example, the air–sea coupling significantly increases the skill of the model in simulating the surface air temperature anomalies for most seasons during period 1949–1977, but tends to decrease the skill in late fall during period 1978–2006. This decrease in skill during late fall in 1978–2006 is found to be due to a wrong simulation of the remote ENSO signal that is further intensified by the local air–sea coupling in the south Atlantic. Thus, our results suggest that climate models used for seasonal prediction should simulate correctly not only the remote ENSO signal, but also the local air–sea thermodynamic coupling.