The Effect of Topoclimate on the Spatiotemporal Distribution of Air Temperature in the Zahlé Valley (Eastern Lebanon)

This study aims to examine the spatiotemporal distribution of air temperature in a Mediterranean region with rugged topography, dominated by anabatic and katabatic breezes. The thermal breeze is studied using data from four fixed Davis-type stations installed in 2022 and 2023, as well as air temperature data from Tinytag sensors. This network allows us to spatialize the thermal breeze on a half-hourly temporal scale. Thermal inversion is measured in the Zahlé Valley, where an average inversion layer of 400 m is observed at the valley floor. The urban heat island (UHI) is studied using satellite imagery, along with fixed and mobile air temperature measurements conducted in 2022 and 2023. A mean difference reaching a maximum of 7.7ºC between urban and rural areas is observed. This difference is confirmed by satellite, fixed, and mobile measurements.