TITLE:
Observed Changes in Long-Term Climatic Conditions and Inner-Regional Differences in Urban Regions of the Baltic Sea Coast
AUTHORS:
Michael Richter, Sonja Deppisch, Hans Von Storch
KEYWORDS:
Urban Heat Island; Climate Change; Urban Climate; Baltic Sea; Extreme Events
JOURNAL NAME:
Atmospheric and Climate Sciences,
Vol.3 No.2,
April
30,
2013
ABSTRACT: This paper presents research outcomes from an investigation into
climate change and urban impacts on climate development in urban regions of the
Baltic Sea coast. The cities considered were Rostock and Stockholm,
and their surrounding regions. The objectives were: 1) to
determine whether significant changes in temperature and precipitation have
occurred and, if so, to what extent; and 2) to establish whether there is a noticeable
urban heat island effect in Stockholm and the medium-sized city of Rostock.
Climatic trends were detected by linear regression and the Mann- Kendall
test. Different precipitation trends were detected over the whole period of
observation. Average annual temperatures increased significantly in both case
studies, particularly from the 1970s with highest trends in winter and lowest
in autumn (Rostock) and summer (Stockholm). Although changes in temperature
extremes were detected for both regions, no overall long-term trend for
precipitation extremes was observed. The average temperature in the city of Rostock (Stockholm)
was approximately 0.3°C to 0.6°C (1.2°C) higher than in the surrounding rural
areas had seasonal variations, with maxima in the warm season. The main
outcomes were that significant changes in climatic conditions, particularly
temperature patterns, have been occurring in the case study regions since the
1980s, and that there is a considerable urban heat island effect in both Stockholm and Rostock.
This could encourage urban planners to consider specific climatic conditions
and small-scale climatic influences also in relatively small coastal urban
conglomerates in mid latitudes which can follow from land use changes.