ANALYSIS OF ANNUAL AND SEASONAL AIR TEMPERATURE TRENDS IN CENTRAL PART OF ROMANIA

In the present study, the research was focused on analyzing long-term trends and variability of annual and seasonal air mean temperatures and some parameters related to cold and hot extreme temperatures, based on relevant continuous temperature data (1961-2018 period) provided by three regional weather stations (Cluj-Napoca, Deva and Miercurea-Ciuc). The Mann-Kendall test was used in order to find statistically-significant trends, while the magnitude of trends was estimated using Sen's slope estimator method. The main results showed a significant increase of mean air temperature, especially in the summer season and for indicators related to hot extreme temperatures. Generally, our findings are consistent with the current global warming and previous study results on temperature variability in Romania. Anyway by comparing our results with those from the other similar studies performed in Romania, it could be observed that the climate became warmer in the study area, so the trend in annual mean and seasonal air temperature has intensified and statistical significance of the results has significantly increased. Also, the intensification of the "urban heat island'' effect could be highlighted in the larger cities, like Cluj-Napoca. This increasing trend entails significant impacts on society, economy and natural ecosystems, which is expected to intensify in the near future.