The present study explores the spatial variability of the continentality, oceanity and aridity indices in Turkey. Climatic indices are diagnostic tools used to describe climatic conditions and the state of a climate system. In this study, four indices were calculated using the climatic data from 229 meteorological stations in Turkey. The nature of the indices expresses general climatic features such as continentality, marine influences and aridity. The climatic indices used here are the Johansson Continentality (JC) Index, the Kerner Oceanity Index (KOI), the De Martonne Aridity Index (I_DM) and the Pinna Combinative (PV) Index. Furthermore, aridity characteristics in Turkey have been examined using the two separate periods (1960–1990 and 1991–2006). To assess the temperature and precipitation patterns in Turkey, the climatic indices were calculated by using monthly temperature and precipitation for the period 1960–2006. According to the results of the KOI, marine climates characteristics were dominant in the Black Sea region than in its Aegean and Mediterranean region. The JC index is used for the climatic classification between continental and oceanic climates. The continental effect was found across 25% of the country. The maximum continentality with a score of 71.5 has been found in the eastern Anatolia. Furthermore, semi‐dry areas were increasing in the 1991–2006 period compared to 1960–1990. A significant correlation was found between the values of the JC index and the KOI. The JC index gives reasonable results for Turkey. The continental effect was found across 25% of the country. This analysis may be of benefit for the explanation of landscape characteristics and the rational utilization of water resources, agriculture and energy scenarios for the region in many areas of Turkey. Copyright © 2010 Royal Meteorological Society

In the present study, annual, wet and dry seasons precipitation records for the period 1961–2008 from 271 stations in Turkey were analysed using the rotated empirical orthogonal function (REOF), the Mann‐Kendall trend test and the continuous wavelet transform (WT) method. Additionally, relationships between time variability of the significant spatial patterns and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Arctic Oscillation (AO), and North‐Sea Caspian Pattern (NCP) are examined. The REOF method was used to analyse the annual, dry, and wet season variability of precipitation patterns over Turkey. The Mann‐Kendall method was used to detect the temporal trend of the rotated principal components (RPCs) time series, and the continuous wavelet method was used to explore the periodicity of precipitation changes. Continuous WT results indicate that the significant 3–4 year, 6–10 year, and 12–16 year bands are the major period components. Precipitation in Turkey is uneven in space and time, and its complex temporal structure and spatial variations are different in each dry and wet season. The Mann‐Kendall test results show that decreasing annual precipitation is the dominating trend throughout Anatolia, including west, and southwest sections. Increasing annual precipitation can be observed in only northeast Black Sea region of Turkey. Decreasing wet/dry season precipitation that we observe throughout the country, except northeast coasts and eastern parts of Turkey, is expected to have a strong impact on the economic livelihood of the region, especially on agricultural production, drinking water supply, and hydroelectricity production. Copyright © 2010 Royal Meteorological Society

Extreme (maximum and minimum) temperature records are analysed for search of spatio‐temporal variation patterns in regional climate change throughout Turkey based on 165 stations, as many stations as possible, and as far back as possible, in the period 1961–2008. The main purpose is to better understand the possibility of annual trends during the warm and cold periods. Homogeneity and Mann‐Kendall trend test methodologies are applied in order to identify statistically significant trends at each station. It is observed that there is a significant warming in both annual maximum and minimum temperature records. Increasing trends in warm period are comparatively stronger than cold periods so far as the maximum temperatures are concerned. There are also increasing trends in annual minimum temperature during warm periods with almost no change in minimum temperatures of cold periods. The observations indicate that the temperature began to increase in the beginning of the 1980s. Nine stations are chosen from different geographical regions in order to compare monthly average temperature values of 1961–1984 with 1985–2008 and a marked increase was observed on extreme temperatures in these stations. Copyright © 2011 Royal Meteorological Society