MUSCAT – The study forms part of national efforts to strengthen climate research and enhance understanding of long-term environmental changes in the Sultanate.

The article, titled ‘Systematic Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Long-Term Trends and Surface Warming Thresholds Over Oman’ (available at https://t.co/UqBXV55Vgy), provides the first comprehensive assessment of surface air temperature trends across Oman over four decades using ground observations and high-resolution ERA5 reanalysis data.

Highlights of the study
• First comprehensive four-decade (1981–2020) validation of ERA5 against ground observations in Oman confirms its high accuracy for climate analysis.
• Long-term warming detected: average, maximum, and minimum temperatures increased by 0.23–0.25 °C per decade.
• Strong seasonal differences identified: spring (MAM) and autumn (SON) show the fastest warming, while winter (DJF) lags behind.
• Post-2000 acceleration observed, with 2011–2020 emerging as the warmest decade on record.
• Critical thresholds quantified: central Oman now records > 110 days annually with Tavg >36 °C; days with Tmax >45 °C and tropical nights (Tmin >30 °C) have tripled.
• Regional contrasts revealed: northern Oman shows the strongest and most persistent warming, while southern Oman exhibits weaker and more variable trends.
• Oman’s warming is 1.2–2.3 times faster than the global average but slightly slower than the broader Arabian Peninsula, positioning it as an intermediate yet vulnerable hotspot.
• Results provide a robust baseline for future hypothesis-driven studies and inform climate adaptation strategies for health, water, energy, and agriculture.