Spatio-temporal analysis of surface urban heat island (SUHI) using MODIS land surface temperature (LST) for summer 2003–2012, A case study of the Netherlands

Surface urban heat island phenomenon refers to the relative warmth of urban surfaces compared with surrounding rural areas. For the purpose of this study, Netherlands has been chosen as it has been suffering from extreme heat events and the formation of urban heat islands in 2003 with nearly 2200 deaths, and 1000 deaths in 2006. This study analyses the spatio-temporal pattern of surface urban heat islands using MODIS land surface temperature in relation to normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). MODIS land surface temperature product (LST) and NDVI were used for the period of this research between summers 2003-2012. A strong negative relationship (R²= 0.834) was found between mean LST and positive NDVI values, suggesting that vegetation can effectively reduce the surface temperature. These findings are helpful for land use and urban planning purposes to mitigate the potential environmental and social impacts of extreme heat events.