Seasonal and Spatial Assessment of the Urban Heat Island Effect and Land Surface Temperature in Nagpur Using Landsat Remote Sensing

Harsh Kailash Shinde , Sanjay V Balamwar, Sanskar Shete

Urban Heat Island (UHI) intensity and Land Surface Temperature (LST) variations are critical indicators of urban environmental change in rapidly growing cities. This study examines spatial and temporal UHI and LST patterns in Nagpur using Landsat 8 and 9 thermal imagery for January and May of 2023 and 2024, capturing seasonal and inter-annual variations. Supervised classification was applied to map Land Use Land Cover (LULC) classes in 2024, and LST was derived using standard radiometric conversion workflows. Comparative analysis between years revealed LST mean variations ranging from 27.4°C to 29.9°C across seasons, with UHI intensities spanning from -19.9°C to 18.3°C. Strong correlations between LULC types and surface temperatures underscore the influence of built-up areas and vegetation on urban thermal patterns. This integrated remote sensing assessment provides actionable insights for urban thermal management and supports climate-responsive urban planning in mid-sized Indian cities.