Micro- and mesoclimatic trends in Sopron region

Local meteorological measurements are essential because they provide accurate information for regions with unique climatic and geographical characteristics. In this study, data from Sopron’s Botanical Garden and Hermes meteorological stations were digitized and quality controlled. Due to its location, the Hermes station offers valuable insight into sub-montane forest climate conditions, while the Botanical Garden represents a peri-urban, forested park microclimate.  Based on data availability, different periods were compared (Botanical Garden: 1930–1960, 1989–2019; Hermes: 2014–2023) with Sopron’s official reference station (Kuruc hill) using basic statistical methods, including time-series analysis and precipitation frequency analysis. In addition, SPI (Standardized Precipitation Index) applied to the datasets.

The results indicate microclimatic differences among the stations. Hermes proved to be the coolest and wettest site, with a higher frequency and magnitude of daily precipitation events compared to the urban park station. Over the past 30 years (1989–2019), mean air temperature increased significantly relative to the reference period of 1930–1960 The SPI analyses of the Botanical and Kuruc Hill show a very high similarity, but the Botanical Garden has less extreme negative (drought-related) values. There are larger differences between the Kuruc Hill and Hermes SPI. Hermes SPI shows a more stable, drought-resistant picture, with fewer negative values ​​than the Kuruc Hill, which has a drying tendency. SPI analysis reveals that urban environments experience more frequent and persistent drought conditions than forested areas. These datasets effectively capture micro- and mesoclimatic trends in the Sopron region and can provide a robust basis for validating climate models or other climate related analyses.

This research was supported by the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture. This study was financially supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency under Contract No. APVV 23-0332 and VEGA Grant under Contact No. 1/0577/23. This study was financially supported by The Programme for Motivation and Support for Increasing the Quality and Efficiency of Scientific Research Activities of Young Researchers, Contract No. 1636.The research was supported by the OTKA grant 143972SNN, the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency grant N2-0313 and the associated project TKP2021-NKTA-43. The project TKP2021-NKTA-43 was implemented with the support of the Ministry of Innovation and Technology through the National Fund for Research Development and Innovation, funded by the TKP2021-NKTA call for proposals.