Spatial and Temporal Variability of weekday Urban Heat Island in Port Harcourt and Environs

Abstract

The study examined weekday variability of urban heat island in Port Harcourt and Environs. The data used for this study were generated from field observation and complemented with airport meteorological data. Analysis of Variance was used to determine the differences in UHI in the land use areas across the weekdays. The findings revealed that UHI effects were high on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday which Monday was the hottest daywith6.9^oC and Saturday was the lowest in both seasons.UHI was relatively intense during the wet season with 5.3^oCand lower in the dry season with 5.0⁰C at 0.3^oC seasonal variation. The study area had mean UHI of 5.2⁰C per annum and seasonal temperature variation of 1.1⁰C within the urban canopy across different land use types. The result indicated that increase in temperature does not show proportional increase in UHI across the different land use types. The city surpassed the heat comfort threshold of 27^oC temperature and +0.5^oC-2.5^oC UHI values with annual mean temperature of 30.1^oC and 5.2^oC UHI respectively, indicating that human comfort has been compromised in the city. Commercial and high residential areas had the highest urban heat effect across the weekdays. The study therefore, recommends proper urban planning and management, environmental and health as well as urban greening as intervention strategies.