ABSTRACT
Climatic consequences of urbanisation have long been noted and there have been many studies on the subject. The majority of studies show that the centre of a city is warmer than its environment, forming a 'heat island'. A well-formed heat island can trigger a local wind circulation system in which surface wind converges towards the centre of heat island. It may be relevant to mention here that the state of Qatar is the fastest-growing country in the Arabian Gulf, with most of the population concentrated in its capital Doha. The high value of the heat island during the summer months is a striking speciality of the desert city of Doha. A number of publications suggest that the intensity of the urban heat island effect is often greater in the summer than in the winter because of the higher solar energy input, desert environment and high living standards including extensive use of air conditioning and road transport.
