CHANGES IN METEOROLOGICAL VARIABLES IN CORONEL OVIEDO, PARAGUAY, DURING THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE OF 3 NOVEMBER 1994

Solar global radiation, air temperature, relative humidity, and wind s peed were measured in Coronel Oviedo, Paraguay, within the path of tot ality of the eclipse of 3 November 1994. Global radiation decreased gr adually as the sun was being eclipsed and became negligible during the totality, then increased to their normal values. Surface air temperat ure decreased significantly, about 3 degrees C, with the lowest value occurring about 7 minutes after totality. Relative humidity, because o f its dependence on temperature, increased as a consequence of the tem perature decrease. Surface wind speed decreased gradually during the e clipse, as a result of the cooling and stabilization of the atmosphere . Although atmospheric pressure was also measured, it was not possible to record pressure changes clearly associated to the eclipse, since t he pressure sensor was only able to detect pressure variations of at l east 1 hPa.