Spatiotemporal Assessment of Urbanization Impacts on Land Surface Temperature and Urban Heat Island Effect in Tuticorin

This study investigates the effects of rapid urban development on changes in Land Surface Temperatures (LSTs) in the Tuticorin district of Tamil Nadu, India, and their relationship with Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) between 1998 and 2024. The population growth pattern was assessed using satellite image analysis of the Landsat dataset with GIS technology, based on Land Surface Emissivity (LSE), LST and NDVI. LST values increased throughout the district, with an approximate average rise of 5 °F and 1.1 °F within the study period. In some regions, the maximum increase recorded is as high as 5 °C. In all cases in 2024, the minimum recorded LST value was 39.5 °C. For instance, the NDVI ranged from 0.56 to 0.67 in 1998, decreasing to 0.25–0.51 in 2024. The vegetation cover declined as LST increased. The shift from vegetative and agricultural areas to built-up areas changed the LSE values from 0.52–1.00 (1998–2010) to 0.84–0.99 (2012–2024). The increase in the number of people in urbanised areas from 1,556,000 in 1998 to 1,960,000 in 2024 is attributed to industrial activities, increased construction, and pollution from the development of impervious surfaces. It is important to note this. As thermal industries increasingly burn coal, the urban heat island (UHI) effect is intensified. Lower LST values occur in the vegetative and agricultural areas in the southern part of the Thamirabarani River. This implies that urban expansion, forest clearing, and the loss of green spaces urgently require measures to mitigate city heat in slow-paced cities.