|
The Department of Meteorology
informs that during July 2023, particularly high temperatures prevailed in
the island and in general throughout the european south.
In particular, an extensive
high pressure system, the Azores High pressure system, accompanied by a very
warm and dry air mass, extended from the beginning of the month to the coast
of Africa and the Western Europe. Gradually, it expanded further east towards
the central and eastern Mediterranean, affecting the weather of the southern
european countries in general as well as our island, especially during the
second half of the month.
Due to the very warm and dry
air mass that accompanied this system, very high and in several cases
extremely high temperatures were recorded in many areas of the southern
Europe. This system was given the name “Cleon”. The name was given not only
because of its very high temperatures (both maximum and minimum), but also
because of its duration.
Table 1, below, presents the
maximum daily temperatures recorded during July, at the five main
meteorological reference stations of the Department.
Table 1: MaximumDailyTemperatures (in oC),
at the 5 main meteorological reference stations of the Department of
Meteorology, during July 2023. The table shows the days when the maximum
daily temperature met the criterion according to which a yellow (or higher
level) warning is issued, for very high daily temperatures, per station.
More specifically, during July
2023, very high temperatures were recorded throughout the island and for a very
long time.
July this year saw a record for
consecutive days with maximum daily temperatures exceeding the threshold for
issuing a yellow level extremely high temperature warning. In particular, the
meteorological station of the Department, at the Athalassa Radiosonde
Station, surpasses the previous record for the number of consecutive days
with a maximum daily temperature (Tmax) greater than or equal to 40oC,
which was in 2000 (with a total of 12 consecutive days with Tmax≥40 oC).
This year, we had a total of 16 consecutive days with Tmax≥40 oC.
It is also noteworthy that not only during these 16 consecutive days the
maximum daily temperature fluctuated above 40oC, but was also
greater than or equal to 42oC. Never before until today had there
been so many consecutive days with such high temperatures in the month of
July, for the Athalassa Radiosonde Station.
It is reported that the weather
station at the Forestry College of Prodromos had recorded a total of 16 days
in which the maximum daily temperature was higher than the yellow danger
level (for maximum temperatures), ranking it in 3rd place, after
2017 and 2020 (a total of 17 days with Tmax>31 oC) and 2000
(total of 19 days with Tmax>31 oC).
Table 2, below, shows even more
data on the main reference stations and the records set during this July, as
well as their ranking in relation to the extreme highs during each station’s
operating period.
Table 2: Average Temperatures (in oC) relative to normal
temperatures, at the five main meteorological reference stations of the
Department of Meteorology, during July 2023. Normal temperatures refer to the
period 1981–2010.
A particularly important
observation is the fact that at the four of the five main reference stations
(except for the station at the Forestry College of Prodromos), the average
daily temperature recorded at each of them is the highest ever recorded, while
at all stations the average daily temperature is higher than the
corresponding normal for the month. Another important characteristic is the
absolute 40 degrees that has been recorded as the average daily maximum
temperature in Athalassa. At all stations the average temperature has a
positive deviation from the corresponding normal of the month, with this
deviation ranging from 2.5oC to 2.9oC.
The daily maximum temperatures
recorded at the stations were also very high. At all stations, a positive
deviation of daily minimum temperature was recorded in relation to the
corresponding normal of each station, with this deviation ranging from 1.3oC
to 2.6oC.
The two coastal stations at the
island’s airports, i.e. the stations at Larnaka and Pafos airports, have
recorded their highest average daily temperature during July this year, from
the day of operation of each station, ranking them as the stations with the
warmest July, while the second highest average daily temperatures have been
recorded at the Athalassa Radiosonde Station, at the Akrotiri and at the
Forestry College’s Station in Prodromos, ranking then in the 2nd
place in relation to the corresponding warmest July. In general, the average
daily temperature has been fluctuated by 2.1-2.7oC above the normal
for the month.
All stations have recorded
extremely high maximum temperatures for the month of July. At the Athalassa
Radiosonde Station, the highest maximum temperature recorded was 44.6oC,
which ranks it in the 1st place, the same as the maximum recorded
in July 2017. At Larnaka and Pafos airports, the highest maximum temperature
recorded in July this year were 40.4oC and 38.1oC,
respectively, ranking both these stations in the 3rd place. The
extreme maximum at Larnaka airport was recorded in July 1998 (41.1oC)
and at Pafos airport in July 2017 (41.6oC). At Akrotiri, the
highest maximum temperature recorded in July this year was 38oC,
ranking the station in the 7th place, after 1977 where the extreme
maximum temperature had reach 40.2oC. Finally, the Forestry
College Station in Prodromos is ranked in the 8th place for this
July, with its maximum temperature reaching 34.5oC, after 2017
when it took its first place with the temperature climbing to 36.7oC.
From Table 2, it can also be
seen that this year’s July is a record month for Larnaka airport area, since
this station ranks first in all maxima, with the sole exception of the
absolute maximum temperature for which it ranks in 3rd place,
after the equivalent of July 1998 with 41.1oC, which is the
station’s absolute maximum temperature.
The general conclusion is that
this year’s July is, for the island, one of the warmest Julys during which
several temperature records have either been re-recorded or surpassed.
(EK/SCH)
|
