HEAT ISLAND STRUCTURE IN FUKUOKA METROPOLITAN AREA IN THE SUMMER SEASON

Abstract

In order to examine the structure of urban heat island in the summer season, thermometers havebeen put in 71 instrument shelters of elementary schools in Fukuoka metropolitan area. A typical heat island pattern is seen by using the day-averaging air temperature in this area. The highest temperature of 26.4°C is observedaround Hakata JR Station. The heat island in the summer season appears more clearly in the nighttime, and the temperature inthe urban area falls at the rate of about 0.2°C/km toward the rural area. In the daytime, high temperature region of 28.0°C spreads over the whole area of the metropolitan. The heat island intensities in the nighttime and the daytime are 1.3°C and 1.5°C, respectively. Though the difference between daily maximum temperature and daily minimum temperature is 3.2°C at the region adjacent to Hakata Bay and reaches 5.1°C at an inner areaof Fukuoka plains.