An evaluation of the nature and timing of summer human thermal discomfort in Athens, Greece

Abstract

An assessment of the summer human thermal climate over the period 1966-1995 for Athens, Greece, was undertaken using the predicted mean vote (PMV). At the seasonal (diurnal) time scale human thermal discomfort reaches a maximum over a 20 d (4 to 6 h) period centred on the end of July (14:00 h LST). Not only are general levels of thermal discomfort variable at the intra-and inter-annual time scales, but the timing of discomfort season onset and cessation is highly variable from year to year. Mann-Kendall tests for trends of discomfort season diagnostics revealed that there has been a tendency towards an increase in the length of the discomfort season over the study period. The implications of Athens' harsh human thermal climate for staging athletic events are discussed, and the concept of cool and warm synthetic summers is introduced as a basis for the planning of human activities.