Heat wave events in the capitals of Northern Brazil
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14295/bjs.v5i11.912Keywords:
Amazon, climate variability, extreme weather events, heat waves, urban heat islandAbstract
Extreme weather events are atypical atmospheric conditions that can affect multiple sectors of society. Among them, heat waves are persistent episodes of elevated air temperature with significant environmental, social, and public health implications. This study evaluated the occurrence, frequency, duration, and intensity of heat waves in the capitals of Northern Brazil from 1980 to 2018. Daily maximum and minimum air temperature records from conventional weather stations of the Brazilian National Institute of Meteorology and the Brazilian Air Force Meteorology Network underwent consistency checks, and missing data were filled in using multiple imputation. Heat waves were identified with the CTX90pct and CTN90pct indices, based on the calendar-day 90th percentile for the 1980-2010 reference period, using a 15-day moving window and a minimum duration of three consecutive days. Intensity was assessed using Exceedance Degree-Days. A total of 825 heat-wave events were identified with CTX90pct and 806 with CTN90pct. Belém and Manaus concentrated the highest numbers of events. Frequency followed the annual behavior observed for occurrence, with some years exceeding 40% of days under heat-wave conditions in most capitals. Mean duration was approximately 4.4 days, whereas annual mean intensity ranged from 8.0 °C to 14.0 °C. The results show marked spatial and interannual variability and indicate an increase in heat-wave occurrence since the beginning of the 21st century, reinforcing the need for regionalized climate-risk studies and adaptation policies in Northern Brazil.
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