[PIO] The temperature and its distribution in July 2023

The Department of Meteorology informs that during July 2023 particularly high temperatures prevailed on the island, but also in general throughout the European south.

In particular, an extensive high pressure system, the high pressure system of the Azores, accompanied by a very warm and dry air mass, extended from the beginning of the month to the coasts of Africa and Western Europe. Gradually, it extended further east towards the central and eastern Mediterranean, affecting the weather of 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 southern Europe. This system was given the name "Cleon". The name was given not only because of its intensity in relation to the very high temperatures (both maximum and minimum), but also because of its duration.

Table 1 below shows the maximum daily temperatures recorded in July at the five main meteorological reference stations of the Department.

Table 1: Maximum daily temperatures (in oC) at the five main meteorological stations of the Department of Meteorology in July 2023. The table indicates the days on which 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 the month of July 2023, very high temperatures were recorded across the island and for a very long period of time. Specifically, the Department's weather station at the Athalassa Radiation Station surpassed the previous record for the number of consecutive days with a maximum daily temperature (Tmax) greater than or equal to 40oC, which was set in 2000 (with a total of 12 consecutive days with Tmax≥40oC). This year, we had a total of 16 consecutive days with Tmax≥40oC. It is also noteworthy that not only during these 16 consecutive days was the daily maximum temperature above 40oC, but it was also greater than or equal to 42oC. Never before had there been for the Athalassa Radiation Station so many consecutive days with such high temperatures during the month of July.

It is reported that the and weather station at the Forestry College of Prodromos had recorded a total of 16 days in which the maximum daily temperature was above the yellow danger level (for maximum temperatures), ranking it in 3rd place, after 2017 and 2020 (a total of 17 days with Tmax>31oC) and 2000 (a total of 19 days with Tmax>31oC).

Table 2: Average Temperatures (in oC) relative to normal temperatures, at the five main meteorological stations of the Department of Meteorology, in July 2023. Normal temperatures refer to the period 1981-2010.

Of particular note is the fact that at four of the five main reference stations (i.e. excluding the Forestry College of Prodromos), the average daily temperature recorded at each of them is the highest recorded to date, while at all stations the average daily temperature is above the corresponding normal for the month. Typical is the absolute 40s recorded as the average daily maximum temperature at Athalassa. At all stations the average daily temperature has a positive deviation from the corresponding normal of the month, with this deviation ranging from 2.5oC to 2.9oC.

Also, the daily minimum temperatures recorded at the stations were very high. All stations recorded a positive deviation of the daily minimum temperatures compared to the respective normal of each station, with this deviation ranging from 1.3oC to 2.6oC.

The two coastal stations at the island's airports, namely the stations at Larnaca and Paphos airports, have recorded their highest average daily temperatures in July this year since the day each station opened, ranking them as the stations with the warmest July, while the stations at the Athalassa Radiation Station, Akrotiri, and the Forest College of Prodromos have recorded the second highest average daily temperatures, ranking them 2nd in relation to the corresponding warmest July. Overall, average daily temperatures have been 2.1-2.7oC above normal for the month.

Extremely high maximum temperatures have been recorded at all stations for the month of July. At the Athalassa Radiation Station, the highest maximum temperature recorded was 44.6oC, which ranks it in 1st place, the same as the maximum recorded during July 2017. At Larnaca and Paphos airports the highest maximum temperature recorded in July this year was 40.4oC and 38.1oC, respectively, ranking both these stations in 3rd place. The extreme maximum at Larnaca airport was recorded in July 1998 (41.1oC) and at Paphos airport in July 2017 (41.6oC). At Akrotiri, the highest maximum temperature recorded in July this year was 38oC, ranking the station in 7th place, after 1977 when the extreme maximum temperature reached 40.2oC. Finally, the Forestry College of Prodromos is ranked 8th for this July, with its maximum temperature reaching 34.5oC, after holding the top spot in 2017 with the temperature climbing to 36.7oC.

From Table 2, it can also be seen that this July is a record month for the Larnaca Airport area, as this station ranks first in all maxima, with the only exception of the absolute maximum temperature for which it ranks 3rd, after July 1998's 41.1oC, which is the station's absolute maximum temperature.

The general conclusion is that this July is, for the island, one of the warmest Julys in which several temperature records have either been re-recorded or surpassed.

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