Variations in extreme temperature and precipitation for a Caribbean island: Barbados (1969–2017)
Abstract
Changes in temperature and precipitation can have direct effects on a country's economic and sustainable development. This study presents the historical trends in daily extreme temperature and precipitation indices for Barbados, a Caribbean island, for the period 1969–2017. Linear trends were determined on monthly, seasonal, and annual indices derived from daily rainfall, and daily maximum and minimum temperatures collected at Husbands using the Mann-Kendall trend test and the Sen slope estimator. Annual precipitation total, the simple daily rainfall intensity index (SDII), and the total precipitation when daily rainfall was greater than the 95th percentile (R95P) changed significantly by 3.9% per decade, 0.38 mm day‑1 per decade, and 2.9% per decade, respectively. Annual trends in mean maximum (TXmean) and mean minimum temperatures (TNmean), 0.06 °C decade‑1 and 0.34 °C decade‑1, respectively, mask stronger monthly warming trends: TXmean for September and October both warmed at a rate of approximately 0.17 °C decade‑1 while TNmean for April warmed at 0.40 °C decade‑1. In addition, warming manifests in the frequency of warm nights and cool days at rates of 4.23% per decade and ‑ 2.34% per decade, respectively. Of the extreme temperature indices, the percentage of warm nights (TN90P), cool nights (TN10P), the maximum of the daily minimum temperature (TNX), and the minimum of the daily minimum temperature (TNn) show trends in their monthly indices. These trends indicate warming at Husbands, Barbados, to a greater degree in increasing nighttime temperatures than daytime temperatures.
- Publication:
-
Theoretical and Applied Climatology
- Pub Date:
- May 2020
- DOI:
- 10.1007/s00704-020-03157-9
- Bibcode:
- 2020ThApC.140.1277M
- Keywords:
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- Climate variability;
- Extreme temperature;
- Extreme precipitation;
- Trends;
- Climate change;
- Warming;
- Seasonal;
- Barbados;
- Caribbean;
- Tropical climate