Occurrence of Heatwaves in Selected Regions of Poland and Greece and the Characteristics of their Biometeorological Conditions
Arkadiusz M. Tomczyk
Department of Meteorology and Climatology, Adam Mickiewicz University in PoznańPoland
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and Eleni Katragkou
Department of Meteorology and Climatology, School of Geology, Aristotle University of ThessalonikiGreece
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Mar 11, 2025
About this article
Published Online: Mar 11, 2025
Page range: 107 - 116
Received: Jul 31, 2024
Accepted: Jan 14, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14746/quageo-2025-0007
Keywords
© 2025 Arkadiusz M. Tomczyk et al., published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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Threshold values of Humidex (koźmiński, Michalska 2013; http://www_rescuedynamics_ca/)_
| Humidex [°C] | Levels of thermo-humidity discomfort | Heat syndrome |
|---|---|---|
| 20.0–29.9 | Comfort | Fatigue possible with prolonged exposure and/or physical activity |
| 30.0–39.9 | Slight discomfort | Heat stroke, heat exhaustion and heat cramps possible with prolonged exposure and/or physical activity |
| 40.0–45.9 | Great discomfort | Heat cramps or heat exhaustion likely |
| 46.0–54.9 | Dangerous | Heat stroke possible with continued exposure and/or physical activity |
| ≥55.0 | Heat stroke imminent | Heat stroke imminent with continued exposure |
Characteristics of thermal conditions during heatwaves_
| Parameter | Poznań | Thessaloniki | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | Date | Average | Date | |
| [°C] | [°C] | |||
| Average |
30.3 | – | 35.0 | – |
| Lowest average |
25.5 | 24–27 September 2006 | 29.1 | 4–7 May 2018 |
| Highest average |
35.5 | 19–21 July 2022 | 40.0 | 22–25 July 2007 |
| Highest |
38.0 | 26 June 2019 | 43.3 | 25 July 2007 |
| Average |
33.9 | 23 July–2 August 1994 | 37.3 | 8–18 August 2010 |
Characteristics of biometeorological conditions during heatwaves_
| Parameter | Poznań | Thessaloniki | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | Date | Average | Date | |
| [°C] | [°C] | |||
| Average Humidex | 30.8 | – | 38.7 | – |
| Lowest average Humidex | 23.4 | 18–20 May 2017 | 29.1 | 8–10 May 2007 |
| Highest average Humidex | 38.2 | 15–17 July 2007 | 47.8 | 5–8 July 1988 |
| Highest Humidex | 39.8 | 26 June 2019 | 53.4 | 23 July 1987 |
| Average Humidex – longest heatwaves | 35.0 | 23 July–2 August 1994 | 43.5 | 8–18 August 2010 |
Characteristics of thermal conditions in the summer season in the period 1966–2022_
| Month | Lowest average |
Highest average |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | Changes | Value | Year | Value | Year | |
| [°C] | [°C/Decade] | [°C] | [–] | [°C] | [–] | |
| Poznań | ||||||
| May | 19.5 | 0.23 |
14.6 | 1991 | 23.7 | 2018 |
| June | 22.7 | 0.51 | 18.9 | 1984 | 29.9 | 2019 |
| July | 24.5 | 0.46 | 19.9 | 1979 | 30.7 | 2006 |
| August | 24.2 | 0.51 | 20.4 | 1987 | 29.4 | 2015 |
| September | 19.1 | 0.34 | 14.7 | 1996 | 23.6 | 2016 |
| Summer | 22.0 | 0.41 | 19.3 | 1980 | 25.2 | 2018 |
| Thessaloniki | ||||||
| May | 24.9 | 0.25 | 21.8 | 1980 | 28.1 | 2013 |
| June | 29.5 | 0.40 | 26.7 | 2015 | 32.6 | 2012 |
| July | 31.9 | 0.42 | 29.4 | 1969 | 36.0 | 2012 |
| August | 31.7 | 0.52 | 28.0 | 1976 | 34.9 | 2012 |
| September | 27.6 | 0.23 | 24.6 | 2014 | 31.1 | 1994 |
| Summer | 29.1 | 0.37 | 26.9 | 2014 | 31.9 | 2012 |