A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Evaluation of surface air temperature in the HARMONIE-AROME weather model during a heatwave in the coastal city of Turku, Finland




AuthorsSuomi Juuso, Saranko Olli, Partanen Antti-Ilari, Fortelius Carl, Gonzales-Inca Carlos, Käyhkö Jukka

PublisherElsevier

Publication year2024

JournalUrban Climate

Journal name in sourceUrban Climate

Article number101811

Volume53

ISSN2212-0955

eISSN2212-0955

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.uclim.2024.101811(external)

Web address https://doi.org/10.1016/j.uclim.2024.101811(external)

Self-archived copy’s web addresshttps://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/381223534(external)


Abstract
Performance of meso-scale numerical weather prediction model HARMONIE-AROME was assessed for a summer-time heatwave in a high-latitude coastal city of Turku in SW Finland. Representativeness of the model's ECOCLIMAP-SG based physiographic land cover specification with a resolution of 750 m was assessed against the 20 m resolution CORINE Land Cover (CLC) dataset. Moreover, the modelled 2 m air temperatures were compared with temperature observations recorded at 74 sites of the local climate observation network. Correlation analysis between the model's physiographic data (PGD) and CLC shows a statistically significant (p ≤ 0.01) match between the datasets in 76% of the land cover types, indicating mainly a good representativeness of the HARMONIE-AROME's land cover parameterization in the study area. The cases of mismatch are mostly related to the differences in ECOCLIMAP-SG and CLC classification principles and/or resolution, and thus can not be considered to indicate poor representativeness of the ECOCLIMAP-SG classification in the area. The HARMONIE-AROME modelled temperatures were on average slightly higher than the observed temperatures, and the difference was largest for daily minimum temperatures. Heterogeneity of land cover and topography inside a 750 m grid cell was related to larger difference between the modelled and observed temperature.

Downloadable publication

This is an electronic reprint of the original article.
This reprint may differ from the original in pagination and typographic detail. Please cite the original version.





Last updated on 2025-11-02 at 15:24