Climate change assessment: seasonal and annual temperature analysis trends in the Sardinia region (Italy)

Climate change is expected to have an impact on temperature variability and lead to a substantial increase in temperature values. This is particularly important in some areas, such as the Mediterranean region that has been identified as one of the most responsive regions to climate change. In this paper, the temporal tendencies of seasonal and annual temperature data were analysed in the Sardinia Island (Italy) by applying two non-parametric tests for trend detection to 48 temperature series in a 30-year period (1982-2011). As a result, an opposite trend behaviour between maximum and minimum temperatures has been detected. As regards the maximum seasonal temperature data, a marked positive trend has been detected in all the seasons, with the exception of winter, and especially in spring with about 58% of the station showing increasing values. Conversely, a predominant negative trend characterized the minimum seasonal temperature data, especially in autumn when 50% of the series showed this tendency. The results of this study can increase the knowledge and the ability of policymakers to make strategic decisions.