Based on the monthly average temperature data from 43 meteorological stations during 1959 to 2013

the spatiotemporal variation in the Pearl River basin was analyzed using the methods of linear regression

Mann-Kendall and wavelet analysis. The results show that: the average temperature showed an increasing trend in different time scales and the average temperature in most of the areas increased significantly (P<0.05). The annual average temperature series of the Pearl River basin had a mutation in 1993 but the other time scales had mutations mainly in the early 1990s. The primary period of the annual average temperature series was 3.6a and there were 2.4~3.4 years and 2.8~4.4 years change periods in 1963-1970 and 1983-2008 respectively. The value range of the average temperature of the basin was 10.68~22.60℃ with the average value of 19.50℃

which showed an increasing trend totally form the western to eastern. The average temperature of most meteorological stations of different time scales showed an increasing trend

which increased significantly in the Pearl River Delta and the Dongjiang River basin due to the influence of urbanization.