Heven Bouzo (1) and Taher Cheikho*(1)
(1). Department of Forestry and Environment, Faculty of Agriculture, Tishreen University, Lattakia, Syria.
(*Corresponding author: Dr. Taher Cheikho. E-mail: taher.cheikho@yahoo.fr).
Received: 20/10/2019 Accepted: 07/12/2019
Abstract
Climate change and its potential consequences are one of the major challenges facing human development in the 21st century and one of the most important environmental issues related to human life, prosperity and security. This study examined the trends in thirteen annual extreme indices of temperature over the period 1986-2016 at Lattakia and Safita in the Syrian coastal region. Analysis of annual time series trends of temperature indices using linear regression test and Man- Kendall test revealed that the coastal region is warming. Clear and significant increasing trends were found at both stations in the annual number of summer days and tropical nights, the annual average of maximum and minimum daily temperatures, warm days and warm nights and diurnal temperature range, and insignificant increasing trend in temperature of the hottest days. Clear and significant increasing trend was also found in the temperature of the warmest nights at Lattakia station. In contrast, clear significant decreasing trends were detected in the cool days and the cool nights, and insignificant decreasing trends in the temperature of the coldest nights. The temperature of the coldest days witnessed an insignificant decreasing trend at Lattakia station and an increasing trend at Safita station. Comparing the trends observed in the Syrian coast region suggests that, in general, the Lattakia station closer to the Mediterranean Sea warmed at a greater rate than Safita mountain station.
Key words: Climate extreme indices, Daily temperature, Trends, Lattakia, Safita.
Full Paper in Arabic: PDF