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Five years of thermal intra-urban monitoring in Florence (Italy) and application of climatological indices

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Abstract

This paper presents 5 years of detailed intra-urban thermal measurements carried out in Florence (Italy) by a network of 25 air temperature stations. Daily, hourly, and degree-day indices were applied to hourly data to evaluate the difference within the complex urban environment of Florence. Stations were grouped in four clusters with similar thermal regimes in each season. Our results evidence a mean difference of almost 2°C between the hottest and the coolest cluster in all seasons. Furthermore, the coolest cluster had on average more than ten frost days in winter and the hottest cluster more than 12 summer days in summer. The intra-urban difference of tropical nights was even more evident, with values of 42 versus 10 days between the hottest and the coolest cluster during the summer period. The results of this study contribute to quantify the thermal intra-urban differences in the city of Florence, suggesting important applications in plant phenology, aerobiology, human health, urban planning, and biometeorology.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by “MeteoSalute Project,” Regional Health System of Tuscany. The authors would also like to thank the Environment Department of Florence Municipality for its interest and support of this work

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Interdepartmental Centre of Bioclimatology, University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine, 18, 50144, Florence, Italy

    Martina Petralli & Simone Orlandini

  2. Department of Plant, Soil and Environmental Science, University of Florence, Florence, Italy

    Martina Petralli & Simone Orlandini

  3. Institute of Biometeorology, National Research Council, Florence, Italy

    Luciano Massetti

Authors
  1. Martina Petralli
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  2. Luciano Massetti
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  3. Simone Orlandini
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Correspondence to Martina Petralli.

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Petralli, M., Massetti, L. & Orlandini, S. Five years of thermal intra-urban monitoring in Florence (Italy) and application of climatological indices. Theor Appl Climatol 104, 349–356 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-010-0349-9

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