About the Annual Course of Moscow Heat Island and the Impact on It of the Quarantine Measures to Prevent the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020

Seasonal differences in the Moscow urban heat-island intensity (UHII) have been studied detail based on data obtained 2018–2020 by meteorological network of stations located and region. It is shown that annual cycle this phenomenon slightly pronounced. In most cases, UHI manifested stronger summer weaker winter; however, some months, situation may be reverse. The question statistical significance seasonal remains open. closest relationship was revealed between lower clouds during night hours, so its highest observed least cloudy seasons (usually summer). UHII distribution functions are close to normal law spring, and, winter fall, they characterized a noticeable positive asymmetry, because their values decrease mode approaches physical limit. period strict quarantine restrictions COVID-19 pandemic spring early 2020 led rapid statistically significant UHII, probably due both natural factors (increased cloudiness) human activities (rapidly decreased anthropogenic heat fluxes weakened industrial haze creating an additional counterradiation).