Quantification of the Influence of Wind Speed on Diurnal Urban Heat Island Across Climatic Belts in Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of wind speed on diurnal urban heat islands (UHI) across climatic belts in Nigeria using meteorological and remote sensing data analysis. Remote sensing techniques were utilized to collect data such as LST, GPS ground truth points, MODIS & Landsat images, and wind speed data from NASA spanning 20 years (2003-2022). The UHI intensity was calculated by determining the temperature difference between urban and rural areas. Statistical regression analysis was employed to quantify the influence of wind speed on UHI, considering other meteorological variables as potential confounding factors. The results indicate that wind speed slightly increased the UHI intensity in selected cities during the dry season and decreased it during the rainy season between 2003 and 2022. However, the correlation coefficient between wind speed and UHI intensity was found to be insignificant (r = .093, p < .706), suggesting a minimal direct influence of wind speed on UHI variations. These findings contribute to a better understanding of UHI dynamics in Nigeria and have implications for urban planning and climate resilience strategies in the region.