The hot island of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: intensity, distribution and conditioning factors

This article presents an analysis of air temperatures in the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. We have used urban transects to study the main patterns of the hygrothermal regime. The findings of this study show that the higher parts of the city (Ciudad Alta) act as a cool enclave, compared to the warmer temperatures registered in the lower districts of the city (Ciudad Baja). In these lower districts, a bifocal heat island of medium intensity (3.4 degrees C), registering its highest levels of intensity during winter months, has been identified. The factors that affect the spatial distribution of the temperatures can be established on two scales. On a low detail scale, the main control factor in the difference in temperature is altitudes on a higher detail scale, temperatures are determined by land use and traffic intensity.