Bioclimatic maps for tourism purposes using GIS techniques

Bioclimatic maps were constructed in the past on the basis of synoptic data. For the analysis of the bioclimatic conditions in Austria a modified way has been chosen. The climate station network is more than twice as dense as the synoptic and the performance of meteorological parameters needed to compute the Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) is much better. From the period 1991 to 2000 daily measurements of 201 stations of the parameters air temperature, relative humidity, wind velocity and mean cloud cover as the necessary inputs for PET calculations have been used. From the meteorological input data the radiant fluxes are most difficult to deal with. They have been parameterized and then related to the special geometry of a human being by the mean radiant temperature. In the current investigation the mean radiant temperature and the PET are determined by the RayMan model. Afterwards statistical and GIS procedures have been applied to transfer the PET values into monthly resolution for the entire area of Austria. The results are fundamental information demanded by the tourism and recreation authorities and urban management.