Assessment of the urban heat island (UHI) effect in Perth, Australia (2000–2024)

Urbanization processes aimed at supporting activities, such as human-made constructions, often incorporate low-albedo materials, which significantly impact the local microclimate. Among the resulting impacts, Urban Heat Islands (UHIs) have emerged as a contemporary climate concern. One of the most widely used methods to detect UHIs is the estimation of Land Surface Temperature (LST) from data recorded by Remote Sensing (RS) thermal infrared sensors. In this study, we focused on Perth (Australia), characterized by a Mediterranean climate. This region proved particularly suitable for the analysis due to its significant population growth over recent decades and sprawl driven by residential development, factors that have increased its susceptibility to UHI formation. At the same time, the presence of parks and water bodies provided opportunities for natural cooling and UHI mitigation. To investigate the UHI effect in a small part of Perth, we applied the methodology previously developed for Bragança (Portugal). We analyzed Landsat satellite data from 2000 to 2024, with a focus on seasonal influences on local thermal behavior. Data processing was conducted using the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform, enabling the evaluation of thermal dynamics and the cooling potential of vegetated surfaces using LST and spectral indices. The results confirmed the method’s adaptability to different urban contexts, emphasizing the role of region-specific factors, such as water bodies, in shaping UHI patterns.