Biometeorological classification of daily weather types for the humid tropics

Abstract

This paper describes the methodology for an objective classification of weather types for biometeorological purposes in a tropical-humid climate, such as the Cuban climate. The classification considers the daily behavior of extreme air temperatures, the mean partial vapor pressure, the mean diurnal cloudiness, the wind speed at 1300 hours local time, and the occurrence of precipitation during the day, in order to identify up to 18 weather types. Descriptions are given of the main biometeorological characteristics of some significant weather types, considering typical geographical locations, and their seasonal variations related to the seasonal pattern of asthma and acute respiratory infections. The relationship between the daily occurrence of diseases and the distribution of these local weather types is also described. A significant relationship was found between the incidence of cardiovascular and neurological diseases and the occurrence of hot stress, while the presence of cold and very cold days was closely related with increases of bronchial asthma in adults and children. The appearance of large meteoropathological reactions in the native population could be explained by the day to day pattern of change in the weather types.