This study aimed to analyze the variability of seasonal and annual maximum and minimum air temperatures in the State of Paraná, southern Brazil. The regression analysis and Kendall test were used to test the trend of mean maximum and minimum temperatures, number of days with records of temperature below 3 °C, extreme events and absolute daily maximum and minimum temperatures on seasonal scales (summer, autumn, winter and spring) and annual. The points of discontinuity obtained by the Standard Normal Homogeneity Test showed more significant results for the annual maximum temperature in the autumn. For this meteorological variable points were obtained predominantly in the early 2000s. The annual maximum temperature and mainly minimum temperature at all time scales tended to increase. This increase was relatively larger in the minimum temperature, which suggests a decrease in the thermal amplitude in Paraná. The values of the extreme daily minimum temperature are being higher, but less frequent. On the other hand, the maximum temperatures have been more intense and frequent, especially in spring.
thermal amplitude; statistical climatology; extreme events
