2025.08.20
Research on the impact of urbanization on precipitation intensity by Takashi Kyakuno of the School of policy studies is Published in Urban Climate.
On 15 August, the results of research by Professor Kyakuno of the School of Policy, which analyzed the impact of urbanization on precipitation intensity in urban areas, were published in Urban Climate, one of the top journals in the field of urban climate research. Urban Climate is a high-level academic journal with an impact factor of 6.9.
This study extracted hourly precipitation data for each of the three largest urban areas in Japan during the summer for more than 10 years. Furthermore, image filtering techniques were used to exclude the effects of large-scale meteorological phenomena, extracting only small-scale precipitation events. The study also utilizes the methods of extreme statistics to clarify how these events are affected by urbanization. Additionally, the study has succeeded in predicting locations where small, significant heavy rainfall, which is difficult to predict, could occur.
These research findings are expected to contribute to disaster prevention associated with extreme weather phenomena, as well as to the development of environmentally considerate urban planning strategies.
This study extracted hourly precipitation data for each of the three largest urban areas in Japan during the summer for more than 10 years. Furthermore, image filtering techniques were used to exclude the effects of large-scale meteorological phenomena, extracting only small-scale precipitation events. The study also utilizes the methods of extreme statistics to clarify how these events are affected by urbanization. Additionally, the study has succeeded in predicting locations where small, significant heavy rainfall, which is difficult to predict, could occur.
These research findings are expected to contribute to disaster prevention associated with extreme weather phenomena, as well as to the development of environmentally considerate urban planning strategies.
Journal name: Urban Climate
Article title: Assessment of urban land use impacts on small-scale precipitation patterns during warm seasons: A case study of Japanese cities
Author(s):Takashi Kyakuno
