Comparative study of evapotranspiration variation and its relationship with other climatic parameters in Asaba and Uyo

Abstract

This study was carried out to assess the variations of Reference Evapotranspiration (ETO also denoted with RET) calculated using FAO-56 Penman Monteith model of two locations Asaba and Uyo and evaluate its relationships with the variations of other climatic parameters. Meteorological data of forty one years (1975-2015) and thirty five years (1981-2015) period for Asaba and Uyo, respectively gotten from Nigeria Meteorological Agency, Abuja were used. It was observed that the variations of Evapotranspiration (ET) in both locations were in line with two seasons (rainy and dry) normally experienced in Nigeria having its highest value in March (4.8 mm/day) for Asaba and for Uyo in February (4.5 mm/day); and its lowest value in August (3.1 mm/day) for Asaba and in July (2.9 mm/day) for Uyo. ET variation when compared with other climatic variables in both locations was observed to have the same trend with maximum temperature, solar radiation and sunshine hours. It also has the same variation with minimum temperature though with slight deviation. It was observed that ET variation is inversely proportional to the variation relative humidity. Wind speed displayed relatively small variation in its trend over the study period and is not in line with the variations of ET