Future Climate Change Impact on Urban Heat Island in Two Mediterranean Cities Based on High-Resolution Regional Climate Simulations

The Mediterranean is recognized among the most responsive regions to climate change, with annual temperatures projected increase by 1–5 °C until 2100. Large cities may experience an additional stress discomfort due Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. In present study, WRF-ARW numerical weather prediction model was used investigate change impact on UHI for two cities, Rome and Thessaloniki. For this purpose, three 5-year time-slice simulations were conducted (2006–2010, 2046–2050, 2096–2100) under Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5 emission scenario, a spatial resolution of 2 km. order comprehensively urban microclimate, we analyze future simulation data across sections crossing urban/non-urban areas, after grouping them into classes depending location grid cells. areas both increased average minimum temperature (Tmin) in winter/summer compared other rural ~+1.5–3 at night/early morning. Considering found no significant variations (~±0.2 °C). Finally, that numbers days Tmin ≥ 20 will mostly coastal 2100, while largest Discomfort Index (DImin) expected low-ground areas.