Maximum and Minimum Temperatures in South-Western Nigeria: Time trends, Seasonality and Persistence

Abstract

Global temperature which is obtained as the average of both the zonal and national temperatures is a very fundamental quantity in determining global warming. The difference between the monthly diurnal temperature range (DTR) changes at different locations of the world is also responsible for the current warming being experienced worldwide. Monthly maximum and minimum temperature data for the South-western region of Nigeria (January, 1979 - December, 2014) obtained from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Lagos were analyzed for their time trends, seasonality and persistence using standard statistical procedures including the fractional integration approach. The results of analyses obtained showed that significant positive time trend coefficients were obtained for the minimum temperature, while negative coefficients were obtained for the DTR at the stations considered which implied that global warming is also being experienced in this region of the country.