We often focus on only changes in air temperature when discussing climate change. However, air temperature alone is not sufficient to understand human thermal sensation. To effectively address both climate change risks and comfort, it is essential to consider changes in thermal comfort.
A study led by Ryoga Hiroki, our doctoral student, investigated long-term changes in outdoor thermal comfort at 140 weather stations (AMeDAS) across Japan. The findings highlight the need to pay attention not only to heat stress but also to cold stress. Moreover, the study suggests that northern cities may be particularly vulnerable to summer heat stress. These findings can contribute to better estimation of climate change risks and support the planning of more climate-resilient cities. In order for this work to be accomplished, Machine-Learning was utilized together with various climate model outputs, and more importantly, historical observation data.
A copy of the work is publicly available here.
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