New measurements of the absorption cross sections of gaseous benzene, toluene, meta-, ortho-, and para-xylene have been performed with a Fourier transform spectrometer Bruker IFS120 M at the resolution of 1 cm-1 over the 30 000-42 000 cm-1 spectral range. The recordings were carried out under different pressure and temperature conditions with pure samples. The effect of the temperature on the absorption cross sections is investigated. Comparison with the literature shows large differences, largely attributed to the experimental difficulties encountered during these previous measurements and to a resolution effect. To our knowledge, it is the first time that such a dataset of UV absorption cross sections with temperature dependence is reported in the literature. Such data should be useful for upcoming remote sensing applications, such as atmospheric studies both on Earth and on other planets. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.