Temporal statistical analysis of urban heat islands at the microclimate level

Urban Heat Islands (UHI) represent the air temperature difference between urban and rural areas. This study deployed a network of miniature sensors to capture road-side microclimate data in both summer and winter. Temporal variations indicated UHI were evident for all time scales, with daily highest and lowest UHI at around midnight and noon/early afternoon respectively. Meteorological and environmental factors influencing UHI were also statistically analyzed by automatic linear regression models. Regression results suggested solar radiation and greenery density were the most important factors with a negative association with UHI intensities in both seasons.