This study examines the temporal variations and spatial distributions of annual precipitation over Central Asia during the periods of 1901–2013, 1951–2013, and 1979–2013 using the latest version of Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC) full data reanalysis version 7 (GPCC V7) data set. The linear trend and multiperiods of the precipitation over the entire region and plain and mountainous area separately are analysed by linear least square method and ensemble empirical mode decomposition method. An overall increasing trend [0.66 mm (10 years)−1] is found for the entire region during 1901–2013, which is smaller than that of 1951–2013. The regional annual precipitation exhibits multi‐decadal variations, with a sharp decline during 1901–1944, followed by an increase until 1980s, and a fluctuation thereafter. During 1979–2013, the mountainous area shows a greater increasing trend than the entire region. Furthermore, the regional annual precipitation has exhibited high‐frequency variations with 3‐year and 6‐year quasiperiods and a low‐frequency variation with 28‐year quasiperiods. In terms of the spatial distribution, increasing trend in the annual precipitation is found in Xinjiang and decreasing trends appear over the five countries of Central Asia during 1951–2013. Empirical orthogonal function results show that the mountainous area is the large variability centre of the annual precipitation. The dominant mode of interannual variability in Central Asia annual precipitation is related to El Niño‐Southern Oscillation, which explains about 17% of the interannual variance during 1951–2013. The results of this study describe the long‐term variation in the annual precipitation over Central Asia as well as its relationship with some key climate indices in great detail, which will benefit the understanding and the prediction of the climate variations in this region.
[1] Using daily precipitation data from China during the period 1960-2005, the maximum number of consecutive rainy (or wet) days is investigated. Linear regression and the modified Mann-Kendall test are used to evaluate trends in the wet days. Results indicate (1) that four consecutive wet days occur more frequently; however, their (fractional) contribution to the total amount of precipitation is small. On the other hand, one wet day is prevalent in winter and its (factional) contribution is the largest. (2) In the northwest China, the number and the total precipitation of the maximum consecutive wet days are increasing annually as well as in winter, implying wetting tendency in northwest China and in winter. (3) Decreasing total precipitation is observed in the basins of the Yellow, Liaohe, and Haihe rivers. The number and the fractional precipitation contribution of the maximum consecutive wet days are also decreasing, pointing to a higher risk of droughts in these regions, and these regions are heavily populated with highly developed socioeconomy and are also the major agricultural areas. In this sense, negative impacts are evident because of increasing drought risk as a result of decreasing total precipitation. Besides, a higher risk of droughts can also be expected in southeast China in winter, but a lengthening of maximum consecutive wet days is not evident in China. Higher drought risk in southeast China may threat the water supply, for example, the water supply for Hong Kong and Macau. However, increasing fractional contribution of shorter consecutive wet days may imply intensifying precipitation in China.
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