Extreme Temperature Events (ETEs) in South Africa
A review
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21540469 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Adriaan J Van Der Walt (University of the Witwatersrand), Adriaan van der Walt (0000-0002-6102-2524, University of the Witwatersrand), Jennifer M Fitchett (0000-0002-0854-1720, University of the Witwatersrand, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 104 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 70-88 |
| Publication date | 2022-01-02 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | South African Geographical Journal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0373-6245 • E-ISSN: 2151-2418 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/03736245.2021.1907219 |
| OpenAlex | W3142525332 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 58 |
Extreme Temperature Events (ETEs), including heatwaves, warm spells, cold waves and cold spells, have disastrous impacts on human health and ecosystems. The frequency, intensity, and duration of ETEs is projected to increase due to climate change. However, very little research has been done on ETEs in South Africa, and only a few attempts have been made to identify and examine trends. Currently, ten known publications have examined ETEs across South Africa, the majority of which use the South African Weather Service (SAWS) climate database as the primary source. The general findings indicate that the incidence and duration of extreme warm temperatures are increasing, while cold extremes are decreasing. However, inconstancies exist in the indices used to identify ETEs, selection of meteorological stations, study period, and statistical methods used to examine trends. We review the methodological approaches to define ETEs, the extreme temperature indices adopted, the selection of meteorological stations, study periods, data quality and homogeneity, statistical trend analysis, and results. From these, we propose an approximate number of stations to adequately portray temperature variability on a national and regional level. Finally, we reflect on projections of ETEs under current climate change conditions, and the implications of cold and warm ETEs in a South African context
Climate change · Climatology · Geography · Climate Change and Health Impacts · Climate change impacts on agriculture · Climate variability and models · Environmental Science · Ecology
Climate Extremes
Null
Cold-related injuries in a cohort of homeless adults
Attribution of extreme weather and climate‐related events
The effects of climate extremes on global agricultural yields
When will unusual heat waves become normal in a warming Africa
Recent trends in daily temperature extremes over northeastern China (1960–2011)
Exposure, instrumentation, and observing practice effects on land temperature measurements
Climate change impacts and adaptation in South Africa
Facing the heat
| Citations per year | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |