The city of João Pessoa, in the state of Paraiba, has experienced a strong horizontal and vertical urban growth in recent years. The aim of this study was to check whether there were significant climate variations that could be linked with the urban growth of the city between the 1980's and 2000's. In order to do that, satellite images from 1977 and 2009 were used to calculate the urban sprawl area. In addition, a series of measurements of climate variables was used: rainfall and air temperature, taken from two weather stations located in the urban area, and another station outside the city. Quantitative data about the population were used to check urban growth, taken from the demographic censuses from 1872 to 2009. To verify the behavioral pace of the rainfall and temperature, charts were drawn containing the average temperatures and the monthly sum of the months in the warmest and least warm quarters from 1984 to 2008. The results of the data processing and analysis indicate that the air temperature in the city has increased over the past 26 years. Air temperature was also found to have increased more significantly in the months in the warmest quarter, which can be correlated with the expansion of urban sprawl.
Urban climate; Urban sprawl; Climate variations
