The term “temperature variability” refers to fluctuations in temperatures over the course of the day or year. Long-term changes primarily affect agriculture and forestry. However, extreme temperature differences, especially during the day, can also negatively impact on building materials or infrastructure, such as road surfaces or train tracks. The harmful impact on buildings is relatively minor. However, in regions with high temperature fluctuations, materials (e.g., cladding, window frames, seals) are subject to greater stress and can thus become more susceptible to hail damage, for example.
The rise in average temperatures is often accompanied by temperature extremes and, consequently, by greater temperature variability. This means that in regions with a significant rise in average temperatures, temperature variability will also increase (e.g., in the Mediterranean region in Europe).