Urban regions

These are perhaps the most complex of all microclimates. Temperature is higher relative to surroundings (see ‘Urban Heat Island’ topic for details). The distribution of rainfall over a town or city is very much influenced by topography with the largest values occurring over the more hilly regions and lowest values in more low—lying areas. The nature of rainfall varies during the year. In summer, rainfall is often of a showery nature, falling over short periods, and is normally more intense than in winter.