Increasing temperature in the Jaffna district

Abstract

Global climate change effects are felt in recent days in Jaffna district in Sri Lanka; It is observed by the scholars and researchers .Temperature variation also one of the effects of the global climate changes. It is further observed average annual temperature has been increasing in recent years in Jaffna district. Further observation confirms, compare to past 50 years, annual temperature is very high in recent years in Jaffna district. This variation is also identified in the seasons and regions of the Jaffna district. The main objective of this paper is to find some evidence of the temperature increasing trend in the Jaffna district. Data availability of this paper is limited by many factors in this region. There is only one Agro-meteorology station for measurement and observation for all of the information related to weather elements. For this study, data have been collected from the Department of Meteorology and District Data Center-Jaffna. According to Meteorology Department, mean annual temperature is 28.7 degree C in the Jaffna district. However, it has increased in recent years. It also varies every year. If we analyze the data, systematically, we will be able to find out some evidence of the temperature variation in the Jaffna district. In the period between 1930-1960, temperature was 26.2 degree C. It has been increased to 27.4 degree C during the period between 1960-1990 and further rose to 27.9 degree C. From 1990 to 2008, again recorded temperature increased upto 28.7 degree C. These data show that increasing trend of temperature? is very positive in the district.. Many factors influence on this increasing trend of the temperature. The Jaffna district has four major Geographical regions. In these regions, annual temperature has also been increased from year to year; particularly, the annual temperature has increasing trend in the Island areas which are located in the North West direction to the Jaffna district.