Urban Heat Island Effect on Coimbatore City: A Study Using Temperature Trend

The local temperature is one of the major climatic elements to record the changes in the atmospheric environment brought about by industrialization, increasing population and massive urbanization. The present study dealt with the annual and seasonal temperatureanomalies and trends for meanmaximum and minimum temperatures of the three stations of the Coimbatore, Sulur and Kinattukkadavu for the past three decades and their association with the development through urbanization activities. The annual rise in mean maximum and minimum temperature anomaly is identified in Coimbatore as 0.04º to 0.1ºC and 0.02ºC to 0.2ºC respectively. There was no significant rise in mean maximum and minimum temperature was obtained in both Sulur and Kinattukkadavu. The procedure was based on Mann-Kendall test for the trend andthe nonparametric Sen's method for the magnitude of the trend. The results indicatedsignificant positive trend in mean maximum and minimum temperature was observed at Coimbatore during post monsoon and monsoon respectively. There was in significant trend of mean maximum and minimum temperature was identified both Sulur and Kinattukkadavu. The urbanization pattern within Coimbatore was reflected by the temperature anomalies and trends of annual mean minimum and temperature of the two stations within the city namely Sulur and Kinattukkadavu. The presence of trend in annual and seasonal mean maximum and maximum temperature series determined by Mann-Kendall Z statistics and Sen's Slope estimator reflected in temperature variations which were reflected on urban heat island effect (UHIE).