Considering the importance of data accuracy in climate studies, the standard normal homogeneity test (SNHT) and the Mann-Kendall (MK) trend test were applied to the data sets using XLSTAT software (Table 2). The SNHT test was developed by Alexanderson (1986) to detect a change in a series of rainfall data. The purpose of the MK test (Mann 1945; Kendall 1975; Gilbert 1987) is to statistically assess if there is a monotonic upward or downward trend of the variable of interest over time.