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On September 30, 2023, the
hydrometeorological year 2022-2023 was completed. According to the
precipitation data available to the Department of Meteorology during the
hydrometeorological year 2022-2023, the amount of precipitation recorded in
the areas under Government control was 466.4mm. An amount of precipitation
that ranks the specific hydrometeorological year in the 83rd place,
in order of ranking from a total of 122 years with precipitation data for the
island, as shown in Figure 1, below.
Figure 1: Annual area average
precipitation (mm) in Cyprus (Oct. 1901-Sept. 2023, in descending order.
Precipitation refers to the area under the Government control.
In relation to the reference
period (1961-1990) the amount of precipitation recorded during this year’s
hydrometeorological year (466.4mm) corresponds to 92% of the normal amount
(503mm), as can be seen in Figure 2, which follows.
Figure 2: Annual area average
precipitation (mm) in Cyprus (Oct. 1901-Sept. 2023), in relation to the
normal precipitation (1961 – 1990). Precipitation refers to the area under
the Government control.
Of the 12 months of the
hydrometeorological year 2022-2023 there were some months which exceeded
their normal precipitation. These were: October 2022, during which the
monthly precipitation reached 98.1mm or 300% of normal, September 2023 during
which the monthly precipitation reached 12.1mm or 269% of normal, April 2023
during which the monthly precipitation reached 37.8mm or 126% of normal and
November 2022 during which the monthly precipitation reached 53.4mm or 100%
of normal. However, there were also some months during which the total
precipitation was quite low. The month with the lowest total monthly
precipitation amount was December 2022, with a total monthly precipitation of
34.5mm or 33% of normal.
At this point it is worth
mentioning the temperatures that prevailed on the island during December 2022
and January 2023 since both of these winter months are presented as unusually
warm months for several areas of Cyprus.
Specifically, and based on the
climatic data that the Department maintains:
- December 2022 is
presented as:
- The
warmest December for the meteorological station in Polis Chrysochous,
after recoding the highest average daily maximum temperature of 22.7°C
since the station’s operating day, i.e., since 1969.
- The
warmest December for the station at Larnaka’s airport in relation to
the average daily minimum temperature of 12.2°C and as the 2nd warmest December in relation to the average daily maximum temperature
of 21.2°C, since the day of operation of the specific station, i.e.
since 1976.
- The
warmest December in relation to the average daily maximum temperature
of 21.4°C for the Athalassa Radiosonde station since its day of
operation, i.e., since 1983.
- The
3rd warmest December in relation to the average daily
minimum temperature of 5.7°C for the mountainous station at the
Forestry College of Prodromos since its day of operation, i.e. since
1959.
- January 2023 is
presented as:
- The
warmest January for the station in Polis Chrysochous with respect to
the average daily maximum temperature of 20.4°C and as the 3rd warmest
January with respect to the average daily minimum temperature of
10.0°C, since the day of operation of this station.
- The
warmest January in relation to the average daily maximum temperature of
19.6°C for the station at Larnaka’s airport, since its day of
operation.
- The
warmest January, together with January 2021, for the Athalassa
Radiosonde station, in relation to the average daily maximum
temperature of 19.7°C, since its day of operation.
- The
2nd warmest January in relation to the average daily maximum
temperature of 19.4°C for the station at Pafos’ airport since the day
of operation of said station, i.e. since 1984.
(IA/ASP)
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