During December 2022, high maximum and minimum temperatures were recorded in several areas of the island and therefore in general December was recorded as an unusually warm month, according to data released Thursday by Cyprus’ Meteorology Department.
A press release says that observations at the Department’s stations show that the average daily maximum temperature for December this year was 21.4°C, at the Athalassa Radio station, which is the highest average daily maximum for December since 1983, when the station was installed and operated.
At the station of Polis Chrysochous, it was 22.7°C, which is the highest average daily maximum for the month of December since 1968 when this particular station was installed and operated, at the station of Larnaca Airport it was 21.2°C, which is the second highest average daily maximum for the month of December (the absolute highest average daily maximum, 21.3°C, was recorded in December 2010) since 1976.
At Paphos Airport station the temperature recorded was 21.2°C, which is the fourth consecutive highest average daily maximum for the month of December (the absolute highest average daily maximum, 21.7°C, was recorded in December 2010) since 1983 and at the Forestry College at Prodromos station it was 12.0 °C, which is also the fourth-highest average daily maximum for December in a row (absolute highest average daily maximum, 12.3°C, recorded in December 2017) since 1958.
The average daily minimum temperature for this year’s December was at the station of Larnaka Airport and it was 12.2°C, which is the highest average daily minimum for the month of December since 1976 when this station was installed and operated.
At Polis Chrysochou station it was 12.1°C, which is the highest average daily minimum for the month of December since in 1968 and at the Forestry College station in Prodromos was 5.7°C, which is the third-highest average daily minimum for December in a row (the all-time highest average daily minimum of 6.3°C was recorded in December 2010) since 1958.
At Paphos Airport it was 12.1°C, which is the fifth highest average daily minimum for the month of December (the absolute highest average daily minimum of 12.8°C recorded in December 2010) since 1983 and at the Athalassa Radio station 8.4°C, which is the eighth consecutive highest average daily minimum for the month of December (the all-time highest average daily minimum of 9.2°C recorded during December 2010) since 1983.
Rainfall data
According to the preliminary rainfall data available to the Meteorology Department for the month of December 2022, the cumulative amount of rain has just reached 33.6mm or 32% of normal (with the reference period of normal rainfall being the climate period 1961-1990) . Monthly precipitation was well below normal and therefore December 2022 ranks as the 13th driest December since 1901.
Based on preliminary data on December 2, 6-8, 11-16, 20-21, 23-26 and 29 there were local showers and isolated thunderstorms. Hail occurred on the 6th and 11th of the month, while snow occurred on December 15 in Troodos. According to preliminary calculations, the total rainfall from the beginning of the hydrometeorological year, that is from October 1, 2022, until December 31, 2022, reached approximately 181.7mm or 95% of the normal rainfall.
Source: Cyprus News Agency