| ABSTRACT | This work is devoted to the study of the evolution of seasonal temperature and precipitation for the period 2006-2015 in the Apulia region. Apulia is located in the south-east Italy and has a typical Mediterranean climate with mild winters and hot-dry summers. The analysis will be based on monthly temperature and precipitation data available from the Servizio Idrografico Regione Puglia network stations. Standard quality control tests will allow to select data to be used to reconstruct temperature and precipitation evolution in the region. Our aim is to extend the work by Lionello et al. (2014, Reg Environ Change 14, 2025-2038) who analysed seasonal variability for the period 1951–2005. They found that mean annual minimum temperature (Tmin) warmed at 0.18°C/decade, while no significant warming trend was found for the mean annual maximum temperature (Tmax). However, rates of temperature change were more strong during the last decades of the century, when Tmin and Tmax increased at a very high rate (0.45°C/decade and 0.47°C/decade, respectively). As for precipitation, they found a statistically significant decline in total annual rainfall (-23.9 mm/year) for the period 1951–2000. Here, by extending the analysis to the next ten years (2006-2015), our goal is to check these trends toward warmer and drier conditions which, if confirmed, may have critical effects on water resources of the Apulia region. Particular attention will be given to weather and climate extreme events which could affect those sectors (such as agriculture) which are potentially vulnerable to climate change. |