During December 2022, high maximum and minimum temperatures were recorded in several areas of Cyprus, so that in general December was recorded as an unusually warm month for several areas, according to data from the Meteorological Service.
< p>Press release states that from the objective observations at the stations of the Department, it appears that the average daily maximum temperature for this December was 21.4°C, at the N Athalassa Radio station, which is the highest average daily maximum for the month December since 1983, when the station was installed and operated.
Besides 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, 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 when this station was installed and operated.
At the Paphos Airport station, it was 21.2°C, which is the fourth-highest average daily maximum for December in a row (the absolute highest average daily maximum, 21.7°C, was recorded in December 2010) since 1983 and at Forest College Prodromos station, 12.0°C, which is also the fourth-highest average daily maximum for December in a row (all-time highest average daily maximum, 12.3°C, recorded in December 2017) since 1958.
The average daily minimum temperature for December this year at the Larnaca Airport station was 12.2°C, which is the highest average daily minimum for the month of December since 1976 when this particular station was installed and operated, at the Polis Chrysochous station. ( the absolute highest average daily minimum of 6.3°C was recorded in December 2010) since 1958.
At Paphos Airport station 12.1°C, which is the fifth highest average daily minimum for December (the absolute highest average daily minimum of 12.8°C recorded during December 2010) since 1983 and at Athalass Radio 8.4°C, which is the eighth highest average daily minimum for December in a row (the all-time highest average daily minimum of 9.2°C recorded in December 2010) since 1983.
< p>Rainometric data
According also to the preliminary rainfall data available to the 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 precipitation being the climate period 1961-1990). Monthly precipitation was well below normal.
Thus 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, i.e. from October 1, 2022, until on December 31, 2022, it reached about 181.7mm or 95% of normal.
