Urban Heat Dynamics in Pune: The Influence of Land Cover and Local Climate

Urban areas with high population density and extensive infrastructure development have been experiencing an increasing strain on the local heat budget, leading to a surge in heat-related illnesses and discomfort. This study examined the impact of climate and land use as heat islands in Pune, India, from 2012 to 2023 at six different locations representing varying degree of urbanization. Satellite land cover observations revealed that 55.17% of the total area was urbanized in the city itself, which was limited to 44.8% in 2012. This urbanization has significantly impacted the increasing tendency of maximum temperature (Tmax; 0.13℃ to 1.63℃ ) at almost each study site and minimum temperature (Tmin; 0.06℃ to 0.23℃ ) at a specific location during night. The mutual effect of land cover changes and meteorological conditions have evidenced the heat islands with varying intensities (2℃ to 8℃) at four of the six sites, with significantly intensifying rates from 0.05℃ to 0.39℃ . The estimation of dominating land cover type for the formation of heat islands demonstrated a significant simple determination (r2 = 0.001 to 0.013) and probability (P < 7.91×10−13 to 2.33×10−5) with heat island temperature identifying urban land cover as the primary factor at two sites, while the other two were affected by mixed land covers influenced by local meteorological characteristics. The outcomes of this study offer valuable insights into the development of heat islands in Pune and could guide strategies for alleviating urban heat, ultimately improving climate resilience and thermal comfort citywide.