This paper investigates long term (30 yrs) altitudinal variations of surface air temperatures based on air temperature data of countrywide scattered 22 stations (15 synoptic and 7 climate stations) in Nepal. Several researchers have reported that rate of air temperature rise (long term trend of atmospheric warming) in Nepal is highest in the Himalayan region (~ 3500 m asl or higher) compared to the Hills and Terai regions. Contrary to the results of previous researchers, however this study

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... that the increment of annual mean temperature is much higher in the Hills (1000 to 2000 m asl) than in the Terai and Mountain Regions. The temperature lapse rate in a wide altitudinal range of Nepal (70 to 5050 m asl) is -5.65 °C km-1. Warming rates in Terai and Trans-Himalayas (Jomsom) are 0.024 and 0.029 °C/year respectively.