Long term changes in diurnal temperature range in Cyprus

Long term temperature data from two stations on the island of Cyprus have b een analysed. Increasing trends of approximately 1 degrees C/100 years in t he annual mean temperatures are found at both stations. However, the minimu m daily temperatures have generally increased at a larger rate than the max imum daily temperatures, resulting in a decrease in the long-term diurnal t emperature range. This decrease ranges from -0.5 degrees C/100 years to -3. 5 degrees C/100 years, depending on the location. The reduction in the diur nal temperature range is consistent with observations from other parts of t he globe, and may indicate that the climate in this region of the globe is part of a larger global climate change that has been occurring over the las t century. It is possible that long term changes in greenhouse gas concentr ations in the atmosphere are responsible for the long-term annual mean temp erature increase. Furthermore, the changes in the diurnal temperature range can possibly be explained by increases in cloud cover and/or tropospheric aerosols. It is possible that part of these changes is caused by local land -use changes, primarily by the increasing urbanization of Cyprus. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.