Micro-climatological influences on temperature condition in an old people’s home in Helsinki, Finland, caused by extended heat-waves

In our research we describe the micro-climatological influences of two heat-waves around and the air temperature development in a certain old people’s home in Helsinki, Finland. The stand-alone six-storey concrete building was erected in the late 1970’s and represents the prevailing construction type of this area. The building is located on a slightly southwards declining slope.

The first simulation used real meteorological forcing-data from the heat-wave event in summer 2018, which lasted from July, 13^th until August, 5^th. In this period the daily maximum air temperature reached almost every day 25 °C and more, sometimes even more than 30 °C. All air temperature, wind, humidity, and solar radiation (cloudiness) measurements were conducted at a near-by synoptical weather station.

The second simulation used fourteen-day constructed meteorological forcing-data, based on a clear-sky, slowly increasing air temperature, higher than normal humidity, and low wind conditions assumption starting on July, 13^th (day 194 of the year).

We used the holistic ENVI-met simulation soft-ware to simulate the physical environment around the old people’s home and especially the energy fluxes inside the concrete walls to explain the needs for cooling demands.

The research is part of the HEATCLIM-project financed by the Academy of Finland Science Program CLIHE (2020-2023).