Climate analysis of Frankfurt am Main (Germany) and its surroundings

The term "climate change", which is frequently used today, is not only a global issue, but also an issue that gains importance locally. Living conditions also change in order to adapt to the new conditions that occur depending on the temporal and spatial changes in the effects of the climate. In this study, the climatic characteristics of Frankfurt city and its immediate surroundings were determined using long-term (1960-2020) observation data for Frankfurt am Main. The 11 weather stations of which observation data are used are located on the Rhein-Main plain southeast of Taunus and on the mountain ranges (mainly Taunus and Wetterau) surrounding Frankfurt. According to the data of these stations, there are changes in the climatic characteristics from the basin floor, where the settlement is dense, to the high areas around the basin, where the density decreases. Due to this morphological feature of the place where the city was founded, the study area shows the characteristics of a closed basin. In this case, it has ensured that the basin has a temperate climate. According to the meteorological station data, the average annual temperature for many years in Frankfurt is 10.5°C, and the annual average precipitation is 640.5 mm. Annual average pressure values are 1020 mb and the prevailing wind direction is northeast. A high and stable trend is observed throughout the year in the relative humidity values due to temperature and evaporation. The average annual sunny day duration is 4 hours and 59 minutes and considering the temperature, precipitation and sunshine duration, it is understood that the sky is heavily cloudy or overcast for most of the year. In order to analyze the climate of Frankfurt and its surroundings, which has these climatic characteristics, trend analyses were made with Mann-Kendall and Sen method using annual average temperature and precipitation data. According to the analysis results the average annual temperature increased by 1.37°C and there was a decreasing trend in the amount of precipitation and shifts in the periods when precipitation falls. Key Words: Frankfurt am Main, Climate analysis, Trend analysis.