Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2012 May;56(3):515-35.
doi: 10.1007/s00484-011-0453-2. Epub 2011 May 26.

Comparison of UTCI to selected thermal indices

Krzysztof Blazejczyk  1 , Yoram Epstein, Gerd Jendritzky, Henning Staiger, Birger Tinz
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Comparison of UTCI to selected thermal indices

Krzysztof Blazejczyk et al. Int J Biometeorol. 2012 May.

Abstract

Over the past century more than 100 indices have been developed and used to assess bioclimatic conditions for human beings. The majority of these indices are used sporadically or for specific purposes. Some are based on generalized results of measurements (wind chill, cooling power, wet bulb temperature) and some on the empirically observed reactions of the human body to thermal stress (physiological strain, effective temperature). Those indices that are based on human heat balance considerations are referred to as "rational indices". Several simple human heat balance models are known and are used in research and practice. This paper presents a comparative analysis of the newly developed Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI), and some of the more prevalent thermal indices. The analysis is based on three groups of data: global data-set, synoptic datasets from Europe, and local scale data from special measurement campaigns of COST Action 730. We found the present indices to express bioclimatic conditions reasonably only under specific meteorological situations, while the UTCI represents specific climates, weather, and locations much better. Furthermore, similar to the human body, the UTCI is very sensitive to changes in ambient stimuli: temperature, solar radiation, wind and humidity. UTCI depicts temporal variability of thermal conditions better than other indices. The UTCI scale is able to express even slight differences in the intensity of meteorological stimuli.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Effective temperature (ET) thresholds at different months in Poland (after Baranowska and Gabryl 1981)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Universal thermal climate index (UTCI) vs indices used for hot climates: HI heat index, WBGT wet bulb globe temperature, Humidex. Solid line Regression, dashed line identity
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
UTCI vs wind chill temperature (WCT) index. Solid line Regression, dashed line identity
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
UTCI vs simple bioclimatic indices. ET Effective temperature, AT apparent temperature. Solid line Regression, dashed line identity
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
UTCI vs indices derived from heat budget models. SET* Standardized effective temperature, PT perceived temperature, PET physiological equivalent temperature, PST physiological subjective temperature. Solid line Regression, dashed line identity
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Temporal course of UTCI compared to the simple (WCT, ET, AT) and the heat budget based (SET*, PT, PET, PST) indices during selected days in January 1982 in Freiburg (Germany)
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Temporal course of UTCI compared to the simple (WCT, ET, AT), and heat budget based (SET*, PT, PET, PST) indices on selected days in July 1982 in Freiburg (Germany)
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Frequency of particular assessment classes of UTCI (left panel) and classes of thermal sensations defined by other indices, Freiburg, Germany, September 1966–August 1985
Fig. 9
Fig. 9
Changes of UTCI and other bioclimatic indices during a 12-h experiment on Svalbard archipelago in arctic climate on 23 March 2008; lower panel course of meteorological variables (T, Tmrt, v10)
Fig. 10
Fig. 10
Changes of UTCI and other bioclimatic indices during 3.5 h of observation in the Negev Desert in a dry subtropical climate, 9 September 2008; lower panel course of meteorological variables (T, Tmrt, v10)
Fig. 11
Fig. 11
Changes of UTCI and other bioclimatic indices during a 6.5-h experiment on central Madagascar in wet subtropical climate, 22 August 2007; lower panel course of meteorological variables (T, Tmrt, v10)
Fig. 12
Fig. 12
Changes of UTCI and other bioclimatic indices in Warsaw downtown, in moderate transient climate, 12 October 2007; lower panel indicates course of meteorological variables (T, Tmrt, v10)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. ACGIH . TLVs and BELs: threshold limit values for chemical substances and physical agents and biological exposure indices. Cincinnati: ACGIH; 2004. pp. 168–176.
    1. AIHA . Heating and cooling for man in industry. 2. Arkon: American Industrial Hygiene Association; 1975. Heat exchange and human tolerance limits; pp. 5–28.
    1. Armstrong LE, Epstein Y, Greenleaf JE, Haymes EM, Hubbard RW, Roberts WO, Thompson PD. ACSM Position stand: heat and cold illnesses during distance running. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1996;28(12):i–x. - PubMed
    1. ASHRAE (1997) American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers Handbook Fundamentals Volume, Chap. 8. Thermal Comfort, 8.1–8.28
    1. Baranowska M, Gabryl B. Biometeorological norms as tolerance interval of man to weather stimuli. Int J Biometeorol. 1981;25:123–126. doi: 10.1007/BF02184459. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources