Assessing microclimatic influences in Colombo metropolitan area (CMA) amidst global climate change: a comprehensive study from 1980 to 2022

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment Vol. 197; no. 2; p. 199
• Main Authors: Fonseka, Panchali U., Zhang, Hongsheng, Premasiri, Ranjith, Samarasuriya, Chaminda, Rathnayake, Upaka
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 27.01.2025; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Cities - statistics & numerical data; Climate Change; Climate change mitigation; Climate models; Climatic analysis; Climatic indexes; Data analysis; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental impact; Environmental Management; Environmental Monitoring; Global climate; Ground stations; heat; Heat waves; humans; Mean temperatures; Metropolitan areas; Microclimate; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Precipitation; Precipitation-temperature relationships; Rain; Rainfall; Rainfall anomalies; Satellites; Seasonal variations; Seasonality; Social resilience; Spatial analysis; Spatial data; Temperature; Temperature effects; Temperature extremes; time series analysis; Trends; Urban microclimates; Climate change; Satellite products; Seasonality index; Rainfall anomaly index; Heat wave magnitude index; Resilience
• ISSN: 1573-2959; 0167-6369; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-025-13648-9

Climate change has become an emerging topic, leading to widespread damage. However, when considering climate, attention is drawn to various scales, and urban microclimate has emerged as a trending subject due to its direct relevance to human living environments. Among the microclimatic factors, temperature and precipitation are utilized in order to identify trends. The identification of changes in precipitation and temperature from ground stations poses difficulties due to the lack of well-distributed stations; thus, satellite-based products are gaining popularity. The satellite products were validated against ground data, following which time-series and spatial analyses were conducted. The rainfall anomaly index, seasonality index, heat wave magnitude index, and mean temperature differ in the Colombo Metropolitan Area compared to the entire country. Each index is calculated decadal-wise to identify trends. By utilizing four climate indices, the analysis endeavors to investigate the microclimate identification in Colombo Metropolitan Area compared to its surrounding areas such as the Western Province and the entire country. This study aids local authorities in mitigating climate change by enhancing city resilience. These findings underscore the importance of understanding and addressing the impacts of climate change on temperature extremes to mitigate potential adverse effects on human activities and the environment. Understanding the specific reasons for spatial changes in rainfall anomalies often necessitates extensive climate modeling and data analysis.