2018 Reports

Urban Heat Island in Brussels

Hamdi, Rafiq

The Brussels Capital Region has undergone significant urbanization since the 1950s, with impervious surfaces nearly doubling from 26% in 1955 to 47% in 2006. This transformation has contributed to a rising urban heat island (UHI) effect, particularly increasing annual mean minimum temperatures, while maximum temperatures are less affected. Observations in the Uccle suburb show that the increase in minimum temperatures is strongly linked to urban expansion, impervious surfaces, limited evapotranspiration, and anthropogenic heat. These findings underscore the importance of accounting for urban bias when interpreting long-term temperature trends in cities.

Keywords: urban heat island effect, urban growth, impervious surfaces, minimum temperature increase