Krzysztof Błażejczyk
Articles
UTCI applications in practice (methodological questions)
Geographia Polonica (2021) vol. 94, iss. 2, pp. 153-165 | 
Full text
doi: https://doi.org/10.7163/GPol.0198
Abstract
UTCI, although it was developed with the participation of scientists from 22 countries, it has shortcomings and people using it face various obstacles. The difficulties include wide range of issues: from different availability of meteorological data in individual countries, through the kind of air temperature which should be properly used in calculations, or the need of recalculation of wind speed. However the biggest subject concern algorithms for mean radiant temperature (Mrt) calculations, different models and programs which simplify calculations of this complex index though introduce different approximations and, as a result, many false results. The paper presents also wide range of UTCI applications in urban bioclimate studies and bioclimatic mapping, climate-human health researches and biometeorological forecasts which were the primary purpose of the index creation, but also applications in tourism and recreation or even in bioclimate change analysis.
Keywords: problems with UTCI in use, data bases, mean radiant temperature, mapping, human health
[k.blaz@twarda.pan.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00‑818 Warszawa, Poland
[mkuchcik@twarda.pan.pl], Instytut Geografii i Przestrzennego Zagospodarowania im. S. Leszczyckiego PAN
Geographia Polonica (2021) vol. 94, iss. 2, pp. 223-236 | Full text
doi: https://doi.org/10.7163/GPol.0202
Abstract
Mountain areas create specific features of local climates (by modification of air circulation, insolation, air temperature, precipitation, wind regime) and greatly affect ambient weather conditions which influence different kinds of human (climbing, skiing, walking, etc.). However, till now only few studies of human bioclimate in individual mountain ridges in Europe were done. The aim of the present study is to assess thermal stress features represented by Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) in nine mountain systems in Central and Eastern Europe. 37 meteorological stations located at altitudes of 237-3580 m above sea level were considered.The data represent midday observational term and cover the period 2000-2017. Mean, highest and lowest annual thermal stress values and annual frequency of cold and heat stress days are analysed The conducted studies have demonstrated that in the examined mountain systems thermal stress conditions are dependent (though to a various extent) mostly on altitude (UTCI values and heat stress days decrease and number of cold stress days rise significantly due to increase of altitude). However, impacts of latitude and longitude is well seen only in altitude belt of 300-1000 m a.s.l.
Keywords: human bioclimate, UTCI, mountain tourism potential, Central Europe, Eastern Europe
[k.blaz@twarda.pan.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00‑818 Warszawa, Poland
[milicapecelj@gmail.com], Geographical Institute Serbian Academy of Science and Arts Djure Jakšića 9, 11000 Belgrade: Serbia; Faculty of Philosophy University of East Sarajevo Alekse Šantića 1, 71420, Pale, RS: Bosnia and Herzegovina
[nejedlik@yahoo.com], Earth Science Institute Slovak Academy of Science Dubravska cesta 9, 84005 Bratislava: Slovakia
[skrynyk@nubip.edu.ua], National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine Heroyiv Oborony, 15 Kyiv: Ukraine; Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Institute, Nauky 37 Kyiv: Ukraine
[katarina.mikulova@shmu.sk], Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute Jeseniova 15, 833 15 Bratislava: Slovakia