Determination of places in the great Athens area where the heat island effect is observed

The main purpose of the present study is to define places in the major Athens area where the heat island effect occurs. Several important climatic parameters are examined in combination with the application of various statistical tests. From this research it is mainly observed that the central and the west industrialized parts of the city of Athens develop intensely the urban heat island effect. Nevertheless, district variations as regards the heat island intensity can be found in some regions, located close to the city centre and eastward of it, characterized by thick vegetation of trees or by open areas. Moreover, in places near the seaside the air temperatures are higher in the cold period of the year not because of the urbanization but mainly due to the influence of the sea, which favors the maintenance of high air temperatures. Last but not least, the persistence of high air temperatures during the hot period of the year or low air temperatures in the cold period is mostly related to the synoptic weather conditions and reasonably it cannot be considered as an index for the heat island effect development.