Spatiotemporal Analysis of Diurnal Temperature Range: Effect of Urbanization, Cloud Cover, Solar Radiation, and Precipitation

• Main Authors: Andri Pyrgou, Mattheos Santamouris, Iro Livada
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-07-01
• Series: Climate
• Subjects: DTR; cluster; rainfall; water vapor; urban development; longwave radiation
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2225-1154/7/7/89

High daily temperatures in the Mediterranean and Europe have been documented in observation and modeling studies. Long-term temperature data, from 1988 to 2017, from a suburban station and an urban station in Nicosia, Cyprus have been analyzed, and the diurnal temperature range (DTR) trend was investigated. The seasonal Mann–Kendall test revealed a decreasing DTR trend of −0.24 °C/decade at the urban station and −0.36 °C/decade at the suburban station, which were attributed to an increase in the daily minimum temperature. Variations in precipitation, longwave radiation, ultraviolet-A (UVA), ultraviolet-B (UVB), cloud cover, water vapor, and urbanization were used to assess their possible relationship with regional DTR. The clustering of daytime and night-time data showed a strong relationship between the DTR and observed cloud cover, net longwave radiation, and precipitation. Clouds associated with smaller shortwave and net longwave radiation reduce the DTR by decreasing the surface solar radiation, while atmospheric absolute humidity denotes an increased daytime surface evaporative cooling and higher absorption of the short and longwave radiation. The intra-cluster variation could be reduced, and the inter-cluster variance increased by the addition of other meteorological parameters and anthropogenic sources that affect DTR in order to develop a quantitative basis for assessing DTR variations.