Interactions between urban heat islands, heatwaves, and synoptic patterns in southern Australian cities

Most cities are affected by urban heat islands, whereby urban areas are warmer than surrounding rural areas at night. While much research on the urban heat island has focused on the influence of the land surface, there has been little attention paid to the role that atmospheric mechanisms play in modulating urban heat islands, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere and Australia. This thesis addresses this gap by examining the relationship between urban heat islands, heatwaves, and synoptic weather patterns in three southern Australian cities, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth.