CLIMATOLOGY

Asst. Prof. Gaurav Goyal

 TOPICS
• Climatic zones & characteristics
• Climatological Site analysis & its application in
site planning and design evolution
 Classification of Climates
Suggested by G A ATKINSON in 1953 on basis of
AIR TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY
 HOT & DRY
• Western and Central part of India eg. Jaisalmer, Jodhpur

• Flat with sandy or rocky ground.

• Sparse vegetation comprising cacti,
thorny trees and bushes.
• Few sources of water.
• Intense solar radiation.
 HOT & DRY
Air temperature, i.e. DBT,
In summer , Day :- 40–45 ºC & Night :-20–30 ºC.
In winter, DAY:- 5 - 25 ºC & NIGHT :- 0 to 10 ºC
Diurnal variation in temperature is quite high, that
is, more than 10 ºC.
Humidity,
The climate is described as dry because the
Relative humidity is generally very low, ranging
from 25 to 40 % due to low vegetation and
surface water bodies.
Precipitation Less rainfall- the annual
precipitation being less than
500 mm.
Sky conditions are normally clear.
Winds are usually local.
Solar radiation is direct and strong during the day
 WARM & HUMID
• Coastal parts of India eg. Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata

• High Humidity
• Abundant vegetation
• Intense solar radiation on clear
days.
• Diffuse Fraction of solar
radiation is quite high due to
cloud cover
 WARM & HUMID
Air temperature, i.e. DBT,
In summer , Day :- 30 – 35 ºC & Night :-25–30 ºC.
In winter, DAY:- 25 - 30 ºC & NIGHT :- 20 to 25 ºC
Diurnal variation in temperature is quite low.
Humidity,
Relative humidity very high about 70 – 90 % throughout
the year.
Precipitation high, being about 1200 mm per year.

Sky conditions are normally clear.

Winds The wind is generally from one or two prevailing

directions with speeds ranging from extremely low to very
high. Wind is desirable in this climate, as it can cause sensible
cooling of the body.
Solar radiation The diffuse fraction of solar
radiation is quite high due to cloud cover, and the
radiation can be intense on clear days.
 COMPOSITE
• central part of India eg. New Delhi, Kanpur and Allahabad

• variable landscape
• seasonal vegetation
• higher humidity levels during
monsoons than hot and dry zones
• two-thirds of the year is hot-dry and
the other third is warm-humid.
 COMPOSITE
Air temperature, i.e. DBT,
In summer , Day :- 32 – 43 ºC, & Night :-27 to 32 ºC.
In winter, DAY:- 10 to 25ºC & NIGHT :- 4 to 10 ºC
Diurnal variation in high.
Humidity,
Relative humidity is about 20 – 25 % in dry periods and
55 – 95 % in wet periods
Precipitation varies between 500 – 1300 mm per year
Sky conditions Monsoon dependent.
Winds are hot and dusty during the dry period.
Directional changes in the prevailing winds at the
bring rain-clouds and humid air from the sea. Monsoon
winds are fairly strong and steady.
Solar radiation Intensity very high in summer with small
diffuse radiation.
In monsoons, the intensity is low with predominantly
diffuse radiation.
 MODERATE
• Pune and Bangalore are examples of cities that fall under this climatic zone.

• generally located on hilly or high-plateau regions with fairly abundant

vegetation.
• solar radiation in this region is more or less the same throughout the
year.
• The temperatures are neither too hot nor too cold
 MODERATE
Air temperature, i.e. DBT,
In summer , Day :- 30 – 34 ºC, & Night :-17 – 24 ºC.
In winter, DAY:- 27 to 33 ºC & NIGHT :- 16 to 18 ºC
Humidity,
The relative humidity is low in winters and summers,
varying from 20 – 55%, and going upto 55 – 90%
during monsoons.
Precipitation Exceeds 1000 mm per year.
Winters are dry in this zone.

Sky conditions sky is mostly clear with occasional

presence of low, dense clouds during summers.
Winds are generally high during summer. Their speed
and direction depend mainly upon the topography.
Solar radiation The solar radiation in this region is
more or less the same throughout the year.
 COLD & CLOUDY
The northern part of India situated at high altitudes
experiences this type of climate

Air temperature, i.e. DBT,

In summer , Day :- 20 – 30 ºC & Night :- 17 – 27 ºC.
In winter, DAY:- 4 to 8 ºC & NIGHT :- -3 to 4 ºC
Humidity The relative humidity is high and ranges from
70 – 80 %
Precipitation about 1000 mm and is distributed evenly
throughout the year.
Sky conditions The sky is overcast for most part of the
year except during the brief summer.

Winds Cold winds in the winter season.

Solar radiation The intensity of solar radiation is low in
winter with a high percentage of diffuse radiation.
Hence, winters are extremely cold.
 COLD & SUNNY
The cold and sunny type of climate is experienced in Leh
(Ladakh). The region is mountainous, has little vegetation,
and is considered to be a cold desert.
Air temperature, i.e. DBT,
In summer , Day :- 17 – 24 ºC & Night :- 4 – 11 ºC.
In winter, DAY:- -7 to 8 ºC & NIGHT :- -14 to 0 ºC.
Humidity The relative humidity is consistently low
ranging from about 10 – 50 %
Precipitation less than 200 mm per year

Sky conditions The sky is fairly clear throughout the

year with a cloud cover of less than 50%..

Winds are occasionally intense

Solar radiation The solar radiation is generally intense
with a very low percentage of diffuse radiation.
Comfort requirements and physical
manifestation
Comfort requirements and physical
manifestation
Comfort requirements and physical
manifestation
Comfort requirements and physical
manifestation
Comfort requirements and physical
manifestation
 Physical Manifestation

(1) Site
(a) Landform:
• Flat regions heat up uniformly.

• In case of an undulating site,

constructing on the leeward side of
the slope is preferred.

• This protects the building from direct

impact of hot winds which can be quite
uncomfortable.

• Building in a depression is preferable in

cases where ventilation is assured.
 Physical Manifestation

(1) Site
(b) Waterbodies:

• Waterbodies like ponds and lakes act as heat

sinks and can also be used for evaporative
cooling. They humidify the air and make it
comfortable inside.

 
• Fountains and
water cascades in
the vicinity of a
building also aid in
cooling.

Source: Handbook on Energy Conscious Buildings

 Physical Manifestation

(1) Site
(c) Street width and orientation
• Streets must be narrow so that they cause
mutually shade the buildings.
• Streets need to be oriented in the north-south
direction to block solar radiation.
 Physical Manifestation

(1) Site
(c) Street width and orientation
• Streets must be narrow so that they cause
mutually shade the buildings.
• Streets need to be oriented in the north-south
direction to block solar radiation.
 Physical Manifestation

(1) Site
(d) Open spaces and built form:
• Open spaces such as courtyards and atria
promote ventilation.
• They can be provided with ponds and fountains
for evaporative cooling.
• Courtyards act as heat sinks during the day and
radiate the heat back at night.

• Grass can be used as ground cover to absorb

solar radiation and aid evaporative cooling.
• Earth berming can help lower the temperature
and also deflect hot summer winds.
 Physical Manifestation

(2) Orientation and Plan form

• An east-west orientation is preferred in hot
and dry climatic regions. 
• South and north facing walls are easier to
shade than east and west walls. During
summer, the south wall with significant
exposure to solar radiation in most parts of
India, leads to very high temperatures in
south-west rooms. Hence, shading of the
south wall is imperative.
• The surface to volume (S/V) ratio should be
kept as minimum as possible to reduce heat
gains.
• Cross-ventilation must be ensured at night
as ambient temperatures during this period
are low.
 Physical Manifestation

(3) Building Envelope

(a) Roof
• Flat roofs or vaulted roofs are ideal in this
climate. Nonetheless, a vaulted roof
provides a larger surface area for heat loss
compared to a flat roof.
• The material of the roof should be massive; a
reinforced cement concrete (RCC) slab is
preferred to asbestos cement (AC) sheet roof.

• A false ceiling in rooms having exposed roofs is

favourable as the space between the two acts as
a heat buffer. Thermal insulation over false
ceiling further increases the buffer action.
 Physical Manifestation

• External insulation in the form of

mud phuska with inverted earthen
pots is also suitable.
 Physical Manifestation

(3) Building Envelope

(b) Walls
• In multi-storeyed buildings, walls and glazing account for most of the heat gain.
• The control of heat gain through the walls by shading, thus, becomes an
important design consideration.
• A wall that transmits less heat is hence feasible.
(c) Colour and textures
• Change of colour is a cheap and effective technique
for lowering indoor temperatures.
• Colours that absorb less heat should be used to
paint the external surface.
• Darker shades should be avoided for surfaces
exposed to direct solar radiation.
• The surface of the roof can be of white broken
glazed tiles.
• The surface of the wall should preferably be
textured to facilitate self shading.
 Physical Manifestation

(3) Building Envelope

(c) Fenestration
• In hot and dry climates, reducing the window area leads to lower indoor
temperatures.
• More windows should be provided in the north facade of the building as
compared to the east, west and south as it receives lesser radiation throughout
the year
• All openings should be protected from the sun by using external shading
devices such as chhajjas and fins.
 Physical Manifestation

(3) Building Envelope

(c) Fenestration
• Moveable shading devices such as curtains and venetian blinds can also be
used.
• Ventilators are preferred at higher levels as they help in throwing out the hot
air.
• Since daytime temperatures are high during summer, the windows should be
kept closed to keep the hot air out and opened during night-time to admit
cooler air.
• The use of 'jaalis'(lattice work) made of wood, stone or RCC may be considered
as it they allow ventilation while blocking solar radiation. Scheduling air
changes (i.e. high ventilation rate at night and during cooler periods of the day,
and lower ones during daytime) can significantly help in reducing the
discomfort.
• The heat gain through windows can be reduced by using glass with low
transmissivity.
Techniques for analysis of climatic factors
 Techniques for analysis of climatic factors
The procedure to be adopted for the analysis of the climate of a place is as follows:
1. Obtain weather data.
2. Find out which months are comfortable (hot or cold), using mean temperature and relative
humidity. This also gives an indication of the severity of the climate.
3. Identify the climatic zone to which the city belongs for adopting appropriate strategies to
achieve comfort.
4. Establish the positive and negative aspects of climate for a particular season. For example,
shading from the sun may be needed during overheated periods. Which are those seasons,
and what is the position of the sun in the sky ? During the same period, wind may be
required to alleviate discomfort. What are the speed and the direction of the wind during
that period ?
5. Adjust the impact of local microclimatic conditions and the urban context in the analysis.
For example, in northern hemisphere, larger buildings in the south create shadow zones in
the north. Thus the amount of direct solar radiation falling on a smaller building in the north
is affected. Also, the presence of a large building, or the orientation of the street can impact
the speed and direction of wind.
6. Finalize the zoning of the site. For example, the presence of water bodies on the site may be
advantageous in a hot and dry zone. The wind, if allowed to pass over the water body can
increase the potential for evaporative cooling. So the building has to be oriented facing the
wind.