Application of innovative Şen trend method to the Slovakian hydrometeorological records

Abstract

The changing climatic conditions brought on by global climate change make it crucial to analyze hydrometeorological variations over several decades. Traditional methods of trend investigation may sometimes fall short in identifying current trends in hydroclimatological time series. This research focused on weather stations across Slovakia, specifically in Košice, Spisske Vlachy, Červený Kláštor, and Bardejov. Monthly records of precipitation and maximum and minimum air temperatures from 1971 to 2021 were examined. The Innovative Şen Trend test, a relatively new approach, was applied to analyze trends across the country. The analysis was conducted on monthly, seasonal, and annual scales. Investigations based solely on single stations are often insufficient for accurately determining regional trends. Furthermore, incorporating new yearly data into prior studies may alter recently observed trends. Considering these factors, the study analyzed four separate Slovakian stations using the Innovative Şen Trend test. When mixed trends were observed in the monthly and seasonal analyses for all three parameters, a generally significant increase in annual air temperature trends was noted. For precipitation, stations observed annual increases exceeding 10 % in the higher classes. In terms of maximum air temperature, a 6 % increase was recorded annually at both Košice and Spisske Vlachy stations. Likewise, Bardejov and Spisske Vlachy showed a 10 % annual increase in minimum air temperature at higher classes, while no significant trends were noted for Košice. © 2025 The Authors