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Investigation of summer monsoon rainfall variability in Pakistan

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Abstract

This study analyzes the inter-annual and intra-seasonal rainfall variability in Pakistan using daily rainfall data during the summer monsoon season (June to September) recorded from 1980 to 2014. The variability in inter-annual monsoon rainfall ranges from 20 % in northeastern regions to 65 % in southwestern regions of Pakistan. The analysis reveals that the transition of the negative and positive anomalies was not uniform in the investigated dataset. In order to acquire broad observations of the intra-seasonal variability, an objective criterion, the pre-active period, active period and post-active periods of the summer monsoon rainfall have demarcated. The analysis also reveals that the rainfall in June has no significant contribution to the increase in intra-seasonal rainfall in Pakistan. The rainfall has, however, been enhanced in the summer monsoon in August. The rainfall of September demonstrates a sharp decrease, resulting in a high variability in the summer monsoon season. A detailed examination of the intra-seasonal rainfall also reveals frequent amplitude from late July to early August. The daily normal rainfall fluctuates significantly with its maximum in the Murree hills and its minimum in the northwestern Baluchistan.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the KU Brain Pool of Konkuk University in 2014. The authors also acknowledge the support from the National Research Foundation of Korea Grant funded by the Korean Government (NRF-2013S1A3A2052995). The data used in this study were obtained from the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), Pakistan.

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  1. Department of Geography, College of Sciences, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, 143-701, Korea

    Mian Sabir Hussain & Seungho Lee

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  1. Mian Sabir Hussain
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  2. Seungho Lee
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Correspondence to Seungho Lee.

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Responsible Editor: J. T. Fasullo.

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Hussain, M.S., Lee, S. Investigation of summer monsoon rainfall variability in Pakistan. Meteorol Atmos Phys 128, 465–475 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00703-015-0423-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00703-015-0423-z

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