The Agricultural Meteorological Bulletin of April 2024, issued by the Department of Meteorology, records for the months of March and April higher temperatures than normal, season, extreme weather, dust concentration in the atmosphere and with precipitation below normal for the months at 50%.
In the bulletin, as relayed by the GTP, it is stated that April is the second month of the transition period from the cold and rainy period of the year, the traditional winter, to the warm and dry period of the year of the traditional summer.
It is added that April, like the entire current quarter of March, April and May, is characterized by episodes with stormy activity, due to the combination of the dynamic causes of the upper atmosphere with the thermal instability of the subsurface layers.
It is further added that the data were collected from the stations of Athalassa, Larnaca and Paphos airports, Achnas, Poles Chrysochous and Prodromos, which have been selected for this purpose as representative meteorological stations.
It is clarified that in general April, like the entire current three-month period, is characterized at the climatic level by dust episodes, which are sometimes intense.
April is expected to in terms of temperature, it will be 1 to 2°C warmer than normal, as will the wider surrounding area, continues the Department, adding that in relation to the expected amount of rain, this is disappointing, since it is expected to range below 50% of the normal amount throughout the island.
The bulletin also states that preliminary data for March, as recorded by the Bureau of Meteorology, appears to have had much warmer temperatures than the seasonal model predicted. March was expected to be 1 to 2°C warmer than normal, but in the end it was even warmer, by 2.3 to 3.2°C. of 4°C from normal, at all reference stations.
The maximum temperature in Achna which was 31.8°C with the normal being 19°C and the maximum temperature in Prodromos which was 23°C with the normal being 10.4 °C. Regarding the minimum temperatures, the highest minimum temperature in Larnaca is indicative which was 18.3°C with the normal being 8.6°C and the minimum temperature in Prodromos which was 12.2°C with the normal being 2.8°C.
Regarding the cumulative rain, it appears from the preliminary data that March recorded a cumulative rain height of 22.3mm or 46% of the normal for the month. Percentage of cumulative rain, which the seasonal model estimated very well, the Department continues.
For the periods 2-11, 14-22, 25 and 27 of the month of March local rains were recorded, several times accompanied by thunderstorms, and it is worth noting that preliminary data shows that hail occurred on March 18, with the amount of hail that was recorded classifying hail as an extreme event for the island. Also again based on preliminary data, snowfall occurred on March 15.
As it recalls that for the periods of March 18 and 20 EMMA warnings were issued, at the yellow level of importance , which involved storms, adds that the average relative humidity in the morning ranged between 58-67%.
Source: KYPE
