[PIO] The Department of Meteorology presents the assessment of the hydrometeorological year 2022 - 2023

On 30 September 2023, the hydrometeorological year 2022 - 2023 was completed. According to the data available with the Department of Meteorology, during the hydrometeorological year 2022-2023, the amount of rainfall recorded in the free areas of the state was 466.4 mm. An amount that ranks this hydrometeorological year 83rd in rank order out of a total of 122 years of rainfall data for the island, as shown in Figure 1 below.

Figure 1. Precipitation refers to the free areas of the State.

Compared to the reference period (1961-1990), the amount of rainfall recorded during this hydrometeorological year (466.4 mm) corresponds to 92% of the normal (503 mm), as shown in Figure 2, below.[/I]

Compared to the reference period (1961-1990), the amount of rainfall recorded during this hydrometeorological year (466.4 mm) corresponds to 92% of the normal (503 mm), as shown in Figure 2, below.

Figure 2: Average annual rainfall (in mm) in Cyprus (Oct. 1901-Sept. 2023) versus normal rainfall (1961-1990). Rainfall refers to the free areas of the State.

Of the 12 months of the hydrometeorological year 2022-2023 there were some months which exceeded their normal rainfall. These were: October 2022 in which the monthly rainfall reached 98.1mm or 300% of normal, September 2023 in which the monthly rainfall reached 12.1mm or 269% of normal, April 2023 in which monthly rainfall reached 37.8mm or 126% of normal and November 2022 in which monthly rainfall reached 53.4mm or 100% of normal. There were, however, some months in which total rainfall was quite low. The month with the lowest percentage of total monthly rainfall was December 2022, with a total monthly rainfall 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, as these two winter months are presented as unusually warm months for many areas of Cyprus.

Specifically and based on the climatological data maintained by the Department:

1. December 2022 is presented as:
   1. The warmest December for the weather station in Polis Chrysochous, having recorded the highest average daily maximum temperature (22.7°C) and the highest average minimum temperature (12.1°C) since the station opened in 1969.
   2. The warmest December for the station at Larnaca Airport in relation to the average daily minimum temperature (12.2°C) and the second warmest December in relation to the average daily maximum temperature (21.2°C), since the day of operation of this station in 1976.
   3. The warmest December in relation to the average daily maximum temperature (21.4°C) for the Athalassa radio station since its day of operation in 1983.
   4. The 3rd warmest December in relation to the average daily minimum temperature (5.7°C) for the mountain station at the Forest College of Prodromos since its day of operation in 1959.
   January 2023 is shown as:
   1. The warmest January for the station in Polis Chrysochous in relation to the average daily maximum temperature (20.4°C) and as the 3rd warmest January in relation to the average daily minimum temperature (10.0°C), since the day of operation of this station.
   2. The warmest January in relation to the average daily maximum temperature (19.6°C) for the station at Larnaca Airport, since the day of its operation.
   3. The warmest January, including January 2021, for the Athalassa radio station, in relation to the average daily maximum temperature (19.7°C), since the day of its operation.

(NZ/ASP)
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