Climate Change in Rwanda: The Observed Changes in Daily Maximum and Minimum Surface Air Temperatures during 1961–2014

Rwanda has experienced high temperature rising phenomena over the last decades and hence, highly vulnerable to climate change. This paper examined spatial temporal variations of daily maximum minimum surface air (Tmin Tmax) diurnal range (DTR). It studied variables at monthly, seasonal annual time-scales from 1961 2014. The study applied various statistical methods such as ordinary least-square fitting, Mann-Kendall, Sen’ slope Sequential Mann-Kendall test new reconstructed ENACTS dataset that cover period 1983 2014 while pre-1983s recorded data 24 meteorological stations have been added complete lengthiness data. January February season did not show a significant trend time-scales. authors decided only consider March-to-May, June-to-August October-to-December seasons for further analyses. Topography impacts on classified into three regions: region one (R1) (1,000–1,500 m), two (R2) (1,500–2,000 m) (R3) (?2,000 m). With confidence, results indicate positive in both Tmin Tmax all regions during whole period. However, magnitude rate temperatures change is different it varies scale. distributions represent siginificant warming country notably since early 1980s. Surprisingly, increased faster than R3 (0.27 vs. 0.07°C/decade March-to-May) (0.29 0.04°C/decade October-to-December), resulting decrease DTR. another confirmation Rwanda. mutation application exhibited most abrupt changes trends between 1984 1990. present work mainly focus variability Tmin, DTR their relationship with elevation change, leaving gap other potential cause factors explored future.