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Precipitation and temperature trends and dryness/wetness pattern during 1971–2015 in Zhejiang Province, southeastern China

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Abstract

This study explores change of precipitation and temperature using the Mann–Kendall test and the spatiotemporal variation of dryness/wetness using the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index and empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis on 1-month time scales in Zhejiang Province, China, over 1971–2015. The results show that monthly precipitation had significant decreasing trends during April, May, September, and October, and significant increasing trends during November and December. Monthly temperatures had significant increasing trends in each month. Increasing temperature significantly increased drought events and intensity. There were consistent spatial patterns of dryness/wetness in Zhejiang. There were dryness trends in April, May, and September, a wetness trend in August, and no dryness/wetness pattern change in other months. The second EOF modes showed that dryness/wetness patterns were anti-phase between northern and southern Zhejiang during April–October. The third EOF modes showed that patterns were anti-phase between eastern and western Zhejiang in August and September.

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Acknowledgements

This paper was financially supported by a major agricultural grant from the Science Technology Department of Zhejiang Province, China (No. 2011C22082), and by the Disaster Research Fund of the People’s Insurance Company of China (Study and Application on Weather Index Insurance).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Xinchang Weather Bureau, Xinchang County, Zhejiang Province, 312500, China

    Weiping Lou & Ke Sun

  2. Zhejiang Provincial Climate Center, Hangzhou, 310017, China

    Lihong Wu & Yuding Mao

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  1. Weiping Lou
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  2. Lihong Wu
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  3. Yuding Mao
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  4. Ke Sun
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Correspondence to Weiping Lou.

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Lou, W., Wu, L., Mao, Y. et al. Precipitation and temperature trends and dryness/wetness pattern during 1971–2015 in Zhejiang Province, southeastern China. Theor Appl Climatol 133, 47–57 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-017-2134-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-017-2134-5

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