Diurnal Temperature Range and Its Response to Heat Waves in 16 European Cities—Current and Future Trends

George Katavoutas (), Dimitra Founda, Konstantinos V. Varotsos and Christos Giannakopoulos
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George Katavoutas: Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, GR-15236 Athens, Greece
Dimitra Founda: Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, GR-15236 Athens, Greece
Konstantinos V. Varotsos: Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, GR-15236 Athens, Greece
Christos Giannakopoulos: Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, GR-15236 Athens, Greece

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 17, 1-19

Abstract: An important indicator of climate change is the diurnal temperature range (DTR), defined as the difference between the daily maximum and daily minimum air temperature. This study aims to investigate the DTR distribution in European cities of different background climates in relation to the season of the year, climate class and latitude, as well as its response to exceptionally hot weather. The analysis is based on long-term observational records (1961–2019) coupled with Regional Climate Model (RCM) data in order to detect any projected DTR trends by the end of the 21st century under intermediate and high emission greenhouse gases (GHGs) scenarios. The analysis reveals marked variations in the magnitude of DTR values between the cities, on the one hand, and distinct patterns of the DTR distribution according to the climate class of each city, on the other. The results also indicate strong seasonal variability in most of the cities, except for the Mediterranean coastal ones. DTR is found to increase during hot days and heat wave (HW) days compared to summer normal days. High latitude cities experience higher increases (3.7 °C to 5.7 °C for hot days, 3.1 °C to 5.7 °C for HW days) compared to low latitude cities (1.3 °C to 3.6 °C for hot days, 0.5 °C to 3.4 °C for HW days). The DTR is projected to significantly decrease in northernmost cities (Helsinki, Stockholm, Oslo), while it is expected to significantly increase in Madrid by the end of the 21st century under both the intermediate- and high-emission scenarios, due to the asymmetric temperature change. The asymmetrical response of global warming is more pronounced under the high-emission scenario where more cities at higher latitudes (Warsaw, Berlin, Rotterdam) are added to those with a statistically significant decrease in DTR, while others (Bucharest, Nicosia, Zurich) are added to those with an increase in DTR.

Keywords: diurnal temperature range; climate change projections; heat waves; hot days; Europe; trends (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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