Abstract
The thermal excess in a settlement compared to its rural environment is called urban heat island (UHI). It has a significant effect
on human comfort in open urban spaces and indoor environment. UHI intensities (the thermal difference between the settlement
and its close-to natural environment) are determined by buildup characteristics of settlements as static endowments and synoptic
weather conditions as dynamic factors. Effects of build-up characteristics are traced in the case of the city of Debrecen in East
Hungary, in the present study. Debrecen is located on a nearly flat terrain, without rivers and lakes, which are favorable conditions
from the aspect of UHI development. Mobile techniques were used in order to get abundant comparable data on the characteristics
of the UHI in the city. On the base of the results spatial characteristics of UHI in Debrecen are described. Characteristic maximal
UHI intensities have been determined for typical urban morphological units of the city.