REGIONAL DIFFERENCES OF HEAT AND COLD STRESS IN EUROPE AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON HUMAN HEALTH AND WELL BEING

Actual atmospheric conditions strongly influence human organism. Special attention is usually paid either on comfort zone or on thermal extremes. It is well documented influence of cold and heat stress on the human health and well being. Till now, many various bioclimatic indices were in use to assess thermal conditions from the point of view of human thermal perception, tourism and recreation as well as mortality and morbidity rates. In the present paper heat and cold stress differentiation in Europe was assessed with the use of Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI). The data for 10 years period (1991-2000) from about 20 European meteorological stations were applied. Regional and seasonal differences of thermal extremes as well as their day-to-day variability are analysed. The observed differences are the background for the assessment of the influence of bioclimatic conditions on human health and well being in particular regions in Europe. We have found great regional and seasonal variability in heat and cold stress in Europe. The researches confirm great differences between southern and northern as well as between western and eastern parts of the continent. However, some unexpected results related to frequencies of hot and cold thermal extremes were found for the stations located in central Europe. The studies were supported by a grant from the Polish National Centre for Research (NCN) grant No 2011/01/B/ST10/06972 “Assessment of climate change impacts on population health in various regions of Poland and predictions to 2100”.