[M-IS05] Environmental, Socio-economic, and Climatic Changes in Northern Eurasia

[MIS05-P03] Spatial and temporal variability of the thermal comfort conditions in Kazakhstan

*Daria Gushchina¹, Zhanel Muhtarova² (1.Department of Meteorology and Climatology, Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia, 2. Department of Ecology and Nature Management, Kazakhstan Branch of Lomonosov Moscow State University, Astana, Kazakhstan)

Keywords:thermal comfort , wind-chill index, physiological equivalent temperature, Kazakhstan

The investigation of thermal comfort conditions in Kazakhstan is motivated by the lack of generalized studies of thermal comfort for the country, the high social and economic consequences of extreme thermal conditions for the region and significant trends in air temperature and precipitation in Kazakhstan observed during last decades. Basing on 3-hour data for 13 cities of Kazakhstan the seasonal cycle and spatial distribution of thermal comfort over the territory of Kazakhstan were analyzed. The wind-chill index (WCI) was used to assess the cold stress during the cold period, and the physiologically equivalent temperature (PET) to assess the heat stress during the warm period. It was shown that the coldest region of Kazakhstan is the North with the maximum amount of days with cold stress conditions in Astana and Petropavlovsk. The maximum number of days with cold stress occurs in January and February, the minimum is in March, and in October cold stress is not recorded on the territory of the Republic. High heat stress was recorded in all regions of Kazakhstan during all 6 months of the warm half-year. The maximum repeatability of high heat stress (PET index exceeding +35°C) is documented in Almaty and Shymkent. The spatial distribution of thermal comfort is governed mainly by atmosphere circulation in winter and radiation conditions in summer, which is characteristic of continental climate. The interannual variability of cold stress conditions has no pronounced trend and is irregular due to the specific of synoptic processes in a particular year. During the warm period in most cities, the number of days with high thermal stress increases toward the end of the period in accordance with the positive temperature trend.
It was revealed that the most thermally comfortable cities in Kazakhstan are Kokshetau and Kostanay, the most thermally uncomfortable ones are Almaty and Shymkent. It is shown that despite the fact that Kazakhstan is traditionally considered as a country with severe winter conditions, the heat stress during the summer period is the dominant factor of thermal discomfort in the Republic.