Variability of rainfall characteristics over the South Coast region of South Africa

Thirty years of daily rainfall data are analysed for the South Coast region of South Africa, a region which experiences substantial rainfall variability and frequent severe drought and flood events, but whose climate variability has not been much researched. It is found that El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) exerts an influence since most wet years correspond to mature phase La Niña years. ENSO also influences South Coast rainfall via increases in the number of cut-off lows in southern South Africa during mature phase La Niña years. A statistically significant correlation between the Niño 3.4 index and monthly rainfall totals, and between this index and the frequency of wet days, exists for two summer months and also for June. There are also changes in the heavy rainfall day frequencies from one decade to another. Examination of NCEP re-analyses indicates that wet (dry) years result from an equatorward (poleward) shift in the subtropical jet, cyclonic (anticyclonic) pressure anomalies over the South Atlantic and South Africa, and increased (decreased) density of mid-latitude cyclonic systems.     

中国主要河流流域极端降水变化特征

利用中国1956-2008年逐日降水量资料,以全国主要河流流域为研究区域,分析了年最大日降水量、年暴雨（日降水量≥50.0 mm）日数的多年平均状况及长期变化趋势。分析表明,近53年,全国平均年最大日降水量没有明显的线性变化趋势,但全国范围内多数气象站点年最大日降水量呈现出增加趋势,并存在南方流域增加、北方流域减少的变化趋势,这种变化特征在2001年以来表现更加突出。全国平均年暴雨日数呈不显著的增多趋势,20世纪90年代最多,70年代最少。空间上,我国南北方流域年暴雨日数呈现相反的变化特征,南方流域多呈上升趋势,北方流域呈减少趋势。     

Subseasonal to multidecadal variability of northeast monsoon daily rainfall over Peninsular Malaysia using a hidden Markov model

This study involves the modelling of a homogeneous hidden Markov model (HMM) on the northeast rainfall monsoon using 40 rainfall stations in Peninsular Malaysia for the period of 1975 to 2008. A six hidden states HMM was selected based on Bayesian information criterion (BIC), and every hidden state has distinct rainfall characteristics. Three of the states were found to correspond by wet conditions; while the remaining three states were found to correspond to dry conditions. The six hidden states were found to correspond with the associated atmospheric composites. The relationships between El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the sea surface temperatures (SST) in the Pacific Ocean are found regarding interannual variability. The wet (dry) states were found to be well correlated with a Niño 3.4 index which was used to characterize the intensity of an ENSO event. This model is able to assess the behaviour of the rainfall characteristics with the large scale atmospheric circulation; the monsoon rainfall is well correlated with the El Niño–Southern Oscillation in Peninsular Malaysia.

     

Influence of ENSO and of the Indian Ocean Dipole on the Indian summer monsoon variability

Indian summer monsoon (ISM) variability is forced from external factors (like the El Niño Southern Oscillation, ENSO) but it contains also an internal component that tends to reduce its potential for predictability. Large-scale and local monsoon indices based on precipitation and atmospheric circulation parameters are used as a measure of ISM variability. In a 9-members ensemble of AMIP-type experiments (with same boundary SST forcing and different initial conditions) their potential predictability is comparable using both local and large-scale monsoon indices. In the sample analyzed, about half of more predictable monsoon years coincide with El Niño and/or positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) events. Summer monsoon characteristics during ENSO and IOD years are analyzed through composites computed over a three years period (i.e. one year before and one year after the event peak) to investigate the mutual relationship between the events lagged in time. The connection between ISM and IOD is mostly confined in the summer and autumn, while that with ENSO is stronger and extends more in time. In the coupled model results the IOD influence on the monsoon is large, even because in the model IOD events are intense and easily reproduced due to a strong air-sea feedback in the eastern side of the basin. Monsoon seasons preceding or following an El Niño or a La Niña event are not exactly symmetric, even in terms of their biennial character. In most of the cases, both in reanalysis and model, El Niño and positive IOD events tend to co-occur with larger anomalies either in the Indo-Pacific ocean sector or over India, while La Niña and negative IOD do not. From the observed record, the ENSO-IOD correlation is positive strong and significant since mid-60s and it may correspond with either strong or weak ENSO-monsoon relationship and with strong or weak IOD-monsoon relationship. A main difference between those periods is the relationship between Indian monsoon rainfall and SST in other ocean basins rather than the Indo-Pacific sector alone.     

An Assessment of Improvements in Global Monsoon Precipitation Simulation in FGOALS-s2简

The performance of Version 2 of the Flexible Global Ocean-Atmosphere-Land System model （FGOALS-s2） in simulat ing global monsoon precipitation （GMP） was evaluated. Compared with FGOALS-sl, higher skill in simulating the annual modes of climatological tropical precipitation and interannual variations of GMP are seen in FGOALS-s2. The simulated domains of the northwestern Pacific monsoon （NWPM） and North American monsoon are smaller than in FGOALS-s 1. The main deficiency of FGOALS-s2 is that the NWPM has a weaker monsoon mode and stronger negatiw,＇ pattern in spring-fall asymmetric mode. The smaller NWPM domain in FGOALS-s2 is due to its simulated colder SST over the western Pacific warm pool. The relationship between ENSO and GMP is simulated reasonably by FGOALS-s2. However, the simulated precipitation anomaly over the South African monsoon region-South Indian Ocean during La Nina years is opposite to the observation. This results mainly from weaker warm SST anomaly over the maritime continent during La Nifia years, leading to stronger upper-troposphere （lower-troposphere） divergence （convergence） over the Indian Ocean, and artificial vertical as cent （descent） over the Southwest Indian Ocean （South African monsoon region）, inducing local excessive （deficient） rainfall. Comparison between the historical and pre-industrial simulations indicated that global land monsoon precipitation changes from 1901 to the 1970s were caused by internal variation of climate system. External forcing may have contributed to the increasing trend of the Australian monsoon since the 1980s. Finally, it shows that global warming could enhance GMR especially over the northern hemispheric ocean monsoon and southern hemispheric land monsoon.     

El Niño Modoki connection to extremely-low streamflow of the Paranaíba River in Brazil

Extremely-low discharge events of the Paranaíba River basin during the austral summer season (December–February, DJF), are found to be associated with the Pacific sea surface temperature anomalies resembling the recently identified El Niño Modoki phenomenon. Extreme discharge events are identified based on their persistent flow for 7 days and more after taking retention time into consideration. Ninety percent of the extremely low discharge events during peak streamflow seasons of DJF, are found to occur during the El Niño Modoki years. A diagnostics study of atmospheric anomalies has shown a clear connection between the modified Walker circulation, associated with the El Niño Modoki, and the precipitation anomalies over the Paranaíba River basin. The climate variations have direct relationship with the rainfall. Streamflow variations are considered as the surrogates to rainfalls. Thus, El Niño Modoki phase is important component to understand and predict the streamflow variations in the Paranaíba River basin.     

Seasonal Prediction of the Yangtze River Runoff Using a Partial Least Squares Regression Model

As the longest river in Asia and the third-longest river in the world, the Yangtze River drains a large land area of the Eurasian continent. Seasonal prediction of the Yangtze River runoff is of crucial importance yet is a challenging issue. In this study, observed monthly runoff data are used to develop a new Yangtze River runoff index (YRI) for the 1950–2016 period. The YRI is not only able to quantify the runoff state of the Yangtze River but is also able to evaluate the intensity of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM). The YRI is highly correlated with summer precipitation in the Yangtze River basin. It can also capture the principal components of the EASM circulation system.

To predict the Yangtze River summer runoff, we employed a partial least squares (PLS) regression method to seek sea surface temperature (SST) modes in the previous winter associated with the YRI time series. The findings indicate that the first SST mode exhibits a strong link with the decaying phase of El Niño (or La Niña), while the second SST mode is related to a persistant mega-La Niña (or mega-El Niño). These suggest that an El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) or mega-ENSO may be an essential source of predictability for the Yangtze River summer runoff. After a 47-year training period (1950–1996), a physical-empirical PLS model is built then a 3-month-lead forecast is used to validate the model from 1997 to 2016. The PLS model exhibits promising predictive skill that is better than some state-of-the-art reanalysis data systems.     

作物生长对流域水文过程与区域气候的影响

利用区域气候模式RegCM3以及考虑作物生长过程的耦合模式RegCM3_CERES对东亚区域进行20年模拟,研究作物生长对流域水文过程与区域气候的影响。结果表明：考虑作物生长过程的耦合模式模拟海河流域、松花江流域、珠江流域多年平均降水效果明显改进,在除黑河流域外的各流域模拟的温度负偏差有所减小,其中在海河流域、淮河流域的夏季改进尤为明显。各流域夏季（6、7、8月）月蒸散量最高,其中长江流域、海河流域、淮河流域、珠江流域的夏季月蒸散量基本上在100 mm左右,并且七大流域蒸散发的季节变化趋势跟总降水基本一致。多数流域考虑作物生长过程的耦合模式模拟得出蒸散发减少且进入的水汽增加,导致局地水循环率减小;黑河流域与黄河流域降水有所增加,其他流域均有不同程度的减小。针对长江流域,比较耦合模式RegCM3_CERES与模式RegCM3模拟结果显示,叶面积指数减少1.20 m²/m²,根区土壤湿度增加0.01 m³/m³,进而导致潜热通量下降1.34 W/m²（其中在四川盆地地区减少16.00 W/m²左右）,感热通量增加2.04 W/m²,从而影响到降水和气温。     

Impacts of recent El Niño Modoki on dry/wet conditions in the Pacific rim during boreal summer

Present work uses 1979–2005 monthly observational data to study the impacts of El Niño Modoki on dry/wet conditions in the Pacific rim during boreal summer. The El Niño Modoki phenomenon is characterized by the anomalously warm central equatorial Pacific flanked by anomalously cool regions in both west and east. Such zonal SST gradients result in anomalous two-cell Walker Circulation over the tropical Pacific, with a wet region in the central Pacific. There are two mid-tropospheric wave trains passing over the extratropical and subtropical North Pacific. They contain a positive phase of a Pacific-Japan pattern in the northwestern Pacific, and a positive phase of a summertime Pacific-North American pattern in the northeastern Pacific/North America region. The western North Pacific summer monsoon is enhanced, while the East Asian summer monsoon is weakened. In the South Pacific, there is a basin-wide low in the mid-latitude with enhanced Australian high and the eastern South Pacific subtropical high. Such an atmospheric circulation pattern favors a dry rim surrounding the wet central tropical Pacific. The El Niño Modoki and its climate impacts are very different from those of El Niño. Possible geographical regions for dry/wet conditions influenced by El Niño Modoki and El Niño are compared. The two phenomena also have very different temporal features. El Niño Modoki has a large decadal background while El Niño is predominated by interannual variability. Mixing-up the two different phenomena may increase the difficulty in understanding their mechanisms, climate impacts, and uncertainty in their predictions.     

An investigation into observational characteristics of rainfall and temperature in Central Northeast India��a historical perspective 1889�C2008

Mann?CKendall non-parametric test was employed for observational trend detection of monthly, seasonal and annual precipitation of five meteorological subdivisions of Central Northeast India (CNE India) for different 30-year normal periods (NP) viz. 1889?C1918 (NP1), 1919?C1948 (NP2), 1949?C1978 (NP3) and 1979?C2008 (NP4). The trends of maximum and minimum temperatures were also investigated. The slopes of the trend lines were determined using the method of least square linear fitting. An application of Morelet wavelet analysis was done with monthly rainfall during June?CSeptember, total rainfall during monsoon season and annual rainfall to know the periodicity and to test the significance of periodicity using the power spectrum method. The inferences figure out from the analyses will be helpful to the policy managers, planners and agricultural scientists to work out irrigation and water management options under various possible climatic eventualities for the region. The long-term (1889?C2008) mean annual rainfall of CNE India is 1,195.1?mm with a standard deviation of 134.1?mm and coefficient of variation of 11%. There is a significant decreasing trend of 4.6?mm/year for Jharkhand and 3.2?mm/day for CNE India. Since rice crop is the important kharif crop (May?COctober) in this region, the decreasing trend of rainfall during the month of July may delay/affect the transplanting/vegetative phase of the crop, and assured irrigation is very much needed to tackle the drought situation. During the month of December, all the meteorological subdivisions except Jharkhand show a significant decreasing trend of rainfall during recent normal period NP4. The decrease of rainfall during December may hamper sowing of wheat, which is the important rabi crop (November?CMarch) in most parts of this region. Maximum temperature shows significant rising trend of 0.008°C/year (at 0.01 level) during monsoon season and 0.014°C/year (at 0.01 level) during post-monsoon season during the period 1914?C2003. The annual maximum temperature also shows significant increasing trend of 0.008°C/year (at 0.01 level) during the same period. Minimum temperature shows significant rising trend of 0.012°C/year (at 0.01 level) during post-monsoon season and significant falling trend of 0.002°C/year (at 0.05 level) during monsoon season. A significant 4?C8?years peak periodicity band has been noticed during September over Western UP, and 30?C34?years periodicity has been observed during July over Bihar subdivision. However, as far as CNE India is concerned, no significant periodicity has been noticed in any of the time series.     

Detecting rainfall trends in twentieth century (1871–2006) over Orissa State, India

Climate change has affected the temperature and rainfall characteristics worldwide. However, the changes are not equal for all regions and have localized intensity and must be quantified locally to manage the natural resources. Orissa is an eastern state in India where agricultural activities mainly depends on the rainfall and thus face problems due to changing patterns of rainfall due to changing climate. In the present study, attempts were made to study temporal variation in monthly, seasonal and annual rainfall over the state during the period from 1871 to 2006. Long term changes in rainfall characteristics were determined by both parametric and non-parametric tests. The analysis revealed a long term insignificant decline trend of annual as well as monsoon rainfall, where as increasing trend in post-monsoon season over the state of Orissa. Rainfall during winter and summer seasons showed an increasing trend. Statistically monsoon rainfall can be considered as very dependable as the coefficient of variation is 14.2%. However, there is decreasing monthly rainfall trend in June, July and September, where as increasing trend in August. This trend is more predominant in last 10?year. Based on departure from mean, rainfall analysis also showed an increased number of dry years compared to wet years after 1950. This changing rainfall trend during monsoon months is major concern for the rain-fed agriculture. More over, this will affect hydro power generation and reservoir operation in the region.     

Distributional changes in rainfall and river flow in Sarawak,Malaysia

Climate change may not change the rainfall mean, but the variability and extremes. Therefore, it is required to explore the possible distributional changes of rainfall characteristics over time. The objective of present study is to assess the distributional changes in annual and northeast monsoon rainfall (November-January) and river flow in Sarawak where small changes in rainfall or river flow variability/distribution may have severe implications on ecology and agriculture. A quantile regression-based approach was used to assess the changes of scale and location of empirical probability density function over the period 1980-2014 at 31 observational stations. The results indicate that diverse variation patterns exist at all stations for annual rainfall but mainly increasing quantile trend at the lowers, and higher quantiles for the month of January and December. The significant increase in annual rainfall is found mostly in the north and central-coastal region and monsoon month rainfalls in the interior and north of Sarawak. Trends in river flow data show that changes in rainfall distribution have affected higher quantiles of river flow in monsoon months at some of the basins and therefore more flooding. The study reveals that quantile trend can provide more information of rainfall change which may be useful for climate change mitigation and adaptation planning.     

Pacific and Atlantic oceanic anomalies and their interaction with rainfall and fire in Bolivian biomes for the period 1992–2012

Bolivia is located at the crossroad of the major climatic influences of Northern and Southern-South America, which turns this country into a natural laboratory to investigate the interactions between ocean-climate and fire variability. We chose two oceanic indices: MEI (multivariate ENSO Index) and AMO (Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation) to select the three most representative years for four oceanic conditions: El Niño, La Niña, AMO, and standard years (understood as years with little ocean influences), for the period 1992–2012. We investigated how i) rainfall (dry vs wet seasons) and ii) fire responded in five Bolivian biomes (Tropical Moist Forests, Tropical Dry Forests, Tropical Grasslands, Tropical Montane, and Seasonally Flooded ecosystems) under these oceanic conditions. Bolivia showed a strong rainfall increase in El Niño years in both seasons (wet/dry), while AMO showed the strongest droughts in both seasons. La Niña showed a bipolar response with rainfall increases in the wet season and a very marked rainfall decrease in the dry season. Drought significantly increased fire numbers in AMO years, being the most significant fire condition and suggesting a larger fire influence of the Atlantic than the Pacific at the national level. Surprisingly, the amount of fire was very large under normal years (STD) and similar to fire levels under La Niña, suggesting generalized fire conditions in the country, except for El Niño years that bring rainfall excess and little fire. The most fire-affected biomes were the seasonally flooded and dry forests, followed by the grassland/savannah biome. Montane areas showed the least fire, but satellite fire omission is well known in the Andean region.     

North-East monsoon rainfall extremes over the southern peninsular India and their association with El Niño

The present study investigates the relationship between extreme north-east (NE) monsoon rainfall (NEMR) over the Indian peninsula region and El Niño forcing. This turns out to be a critical science issue especially after the 2015 Chennai flood. The puzzle being while most El Niños favour good NE monsoon, some don’t. In fact some El Niño years witnessed deficit NE monsoon. Therefore two different cases (or classes) of El Niños are considered for analysis based on standardized NEMR index and Niño 3.4 index with case-1 being both Niño-3.4 and NEMR indices greater than +1 and case-2 being Niño-3.4 index greater than +1 and NEMR index less than −1. Composite analysis suggests that SST anomalies in the central and eastern Pacific are strong in both cases but large differences are noted in the spatial distribution of SST over the Indo-western Pacific region. This questions our understanding of NEMR as mirror image of El Niño conditions in the Pacific. It is noted that the favourable excess NEMR in case-1 is due to anomalous moisture transport from Bay of Bengal and equatorial Indian Ocean to southern peninsular India. Strong SST gradient between warm western Indian Ocean (and Bay of Bengal) and cool western Pacific induced strong easterly wind anomalies during NE monsoon season favour moisture transport towards the core NE monsoon region. Further anomalous moisture convergence and convection over the core NE monsoon region supported positive rainfall anomalies in case-1. While in case-2, weak SST gradients over the Indo-western Pacific and absence of local low level convergence over NE monsoon region are mainly responsible for deficit rainfall. The ocean dynamics in the Indian Ocean displayed large differences during case-1 and case-2, suggesting the key role of Rossby wave dynamics in the Indian Ocean on NE monsoon extremes. Apart from the large scale circulation differences the number of cyclonic systems land fall for case-1 and case-2 have also contributed for variations in NE monsoon rainfall extremes during El Niño years. This study indicates that despite having strong warming in the central and eastern Pacific, NE monsoon rainfall variations over the southern peninsular India is mostly determined by SST gradient over the Indo-western Pacific region and number of systems formation in the Bay of Bengal and their land fall. The paper concludes that though the favourable large scale circulation induced by Pacific is important in modulating the NE monsoon rainfall the local air sea interaction plays a key role in modulating or driving rainfall extremes associated with El Niño.     

Contrasting global teleconnection features of the eastern Pacific and central Pacific El Niño events

Being triggered by different physical processes, the eastern Pacific (EP) and central Pacific (CP) El Niño events have several different teleconnection features around the globe. Using the ERA-Interim re-analysis monthly data during the period 1980–2016, the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) teleconnections on the global scale and their statistical significance are investigated, with an emphasis on the contrasting features of the EP and CP El Niño events. With some exceptions, the EP El Niño and La Niña have generally similar teleconnection patterns with the reversed sign, while in some parts of the globe different and occasionally contrasting teleconnections of the EP and CP El Niño events are identified. Compared to the CP El Niño, more regions of the world are influenced by the statistically significant positive surface pressure anomalies during the EP El Niño, particularly over the Indian Ocean, tropical Atlantic and Northern Africa. It is found that the mid-tropospheric geopotential height anomalies across the globe are significantly different during the EP and CP El Niño events. Associated with different surface pressure and mid-tropospheric geopotential height anomalies, precipitation anomalies in many regions of the world are found different during the EP and CP El Niño events, particularly over the tropical Pacific, central to eastern equatorial Atlantic and the eastern Sahara. While central and eastern equatorial Atlantic experience statistically significant negative (positive) rainfall anomalies during the EP El Niño (La Niña), the CP El Niño does not have a strong influence on the amount of annual rainfall over the equatorial Atlantic. For the first time, statistically significant anomalously dry conditions are found over some parts of the Middle East and Southwest Asia during La Niña, and over the eastern Sahara during the EP El Niño.     

Role of the Indian Ocean sea surface temperature in shaping the natural variability in the flow of Nile River

A significant fraction of the inter-annual variability in the Nile River flow is shaped by El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Here, we investigate a similar role for the Indian Ocean (IO) sea surface temperature (SST) in shaping the inter-annual variability of the Nile River flow. Using observations of global SST distribution and river flow in addition to atmospheric general circulation model sensitivity experiments, we show that North and Middle IO SSTs play a significant intermediate role in the teleconnection between ENSO and the Nile flow. Applying partial coherency analyses, we demonstrate that the connection between North and Middle IO SSTs and Nile flow is strongly coupled to ENSO. During El Niño events, SST in the North and Middle IO increases in response to the warming in the Tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean and forces a Gill-type circulation with enhanced westerly low-level flow over East Africa and the Western IO. This anomalous low-level flow enhances the low-level flux of air and moisture away from the Upper Blue Nile (UBN) basin resulting in reduction of rainfall and river flow. SSTs in the South IO also play a significant role in shaping the variability of the Nile flow that is independent from ENSO. A warming over the South IO, generates a cyclonic flow in the boundary layer, which reduces the cross-equatorial meridional transport of air and moisture towards the UBN basin, favoring a reduction in rainfall and river flow. This independence between the roles of ENSO and South IO SSTs allows for development of new combined indices of SSTs to explain the inter-annual variability of the Nile flow. The proposed teleconnections have important implications regarding mechanisms that shape the regional impacts of climate change over the Nile basin.     

The seasonally-varying influence of ENSO on rainfall and tropical cyclone activity in the Philippines

An observational study covering the period 1950–2002 examines a seasonal reversal in the ENSO rainfall signal in the north-central Philippines. In boreal Summer of El Niño (La Niña) events, above (below) average rainfall typically occurs in this area. Rainfall anomalies of opposite sign develop across the country in the subsequent fall. This study investigates the seasonal evolution of the anomalous atmospheric circulation over the western North Pacific (WNP) during both El Niño and La Niña and places these features in the context of the large-scale evolution of ENSO events, including an analysis of changes in tropical cyclone activity affecting the Philippines. The results show that during boreal summer of El Niño (La Niña) events, a relatively narrow, zonally elongated band of enhanced (reduced) low-level westerlies develops across the WNP which serves to increase (decrease) the summer monsoon flow and moisture flux over the north-central Philippines and is associated with an increase (decrease) in the strength of the WNP monsoon trough via the anomalous relative vorticity. Tropical cyclone activity is shown to be enhanced (reduced) in the study region during boreal summer of El Niño (La Niña) events, which is related to the increase (decrease) of mid-level atmospheric moisture, as diagnosed using a genesis potential index. The subsequent evolution shows development of an anomalous anticyclone (cyclone) over the WNP in El Niño (La Niña) and the well-known tendency for below (above) average rainfall in the fall. Prolonged ENSO events also exhibit seasonal rainfall sign reversals in the Philippines with a similar evolution in atmospheric circulation.     

江苏省雨日及降水量的气候变化研究

利用江苏省1960—2000年13个测站逐日降水资料,分析了41 a来江苏省年、季、月雨日的时空特征和雨日的气候变化。结果表明,江苏省的年雨日已经明显减少,平均每10 a雨日减少10.4 d。各季的雨日都呈负趋势,平均每10 a季雨日减少2.6 d。而秋季雨日减少最明显也最多。雨日长期趋势变化有明显的空间变化。江苏省的年雨日东部比西部减少的多,东部雨日每10 a减少14.6 d。月雨日也呈减少趋势,尤以4月、9月明显。雨日的长期趋势变化与降水量的长期趋势变化并不完全一致,这种不一致表现在长期趋势变化的强度上、范围上。总的来说,雨日的负趋势变化要强于降水量,负趋势的范围也要比降水量来得广一些。     

Variability of rainfall and effective onset and length of the monsoon season over a sub-humid climatic environment

The study has analyzed the variability and trends in monthly, seasonal and annual rainfall and rainy days of four locations over different agro-ecological zones of Bihar, namely Samastipur (zone-I), Madhepura (zone-II), Sabour (zone-IIIA) and Patna (zone-IIIB). The Mann–Kendall nonparametric test was employed for detection of statistical significance and slopes of the trend lines were determined using the method of least square linear fitting. The variability and trends of onset of effective monsoon and length of monsoon period were also analyzed using the same method. The mean annual rainfall varies from 1137 mm at Patna to 1219 mm at Sabour. July is the rainiest month in all the zones followed by August. Maximum increase in annual rainfall was found at Sabour (40.1% of mean/30 years at 95% confidence level) and minimum for Patna (10.1% of mean/30 years). Significant increasing trend of rainfall during July, August and September at rates of 41.9, 83.2, and 112.7% of the mean/30 years, respectively has been noticed at Madhepura. Analysis of rainy days indicates that rainy days increased during winter and annually for all the sites. The mean effective onset of monsoon varies from 18th June at Sabour to 28th June at Patna. The trends in the date of effective onset of monsoon indicate that the date tends to be early in all the sites except Madhepura. But a significant delayed trend in the onset at a rate of 2.8% of the mean/30 years has been observed for Madhepura. The early trend of the effective onset of monsoon and increasing trends of length of monsoon season have been observed for Samastipur, Sabour and Patna.     

A stochastic model for the analysis of maximum daily temperature

Accurately predicting precipitation trends is vital in the economic development of a country. Ground observed data from the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) was analyzed to study the long-term spatio-temporal trends of rainfall on annual and seasonal scales for 23 stations in Nigeria during a 40-year period spanning from 1974 to 2013. After testing the presence of autocorrelation, Mann–Kendall (modified Mann–Kendall) test was applied to non-autocorrelated (autocorrelated) series to detect the trends in rainfall data. Theil and Sen’s slope estimator test was used to find the magnitude of change over a time period. Pettitt’s test, Standard Normal Homogeneity Test, and Buishand’s test were further used to test the homogeneity of the rainfall series. The results show an increasing trend in annual rainfall; however, only nine stations have a significant increase during the period of study. On the seasonal time scale, a significant increasing trend was observed in the pre- and post-monsoon seasons, while only nine stations show a significant increasing trend in monsoon rainfall and a significant decreasing trend in the winter rainfall over the last 40 years. During the study period, 15.4 and 13.90 % increase were estimated for annual and monsoonal rainfall, respectively. Furthermore, seven stations exhibit changes in mean rainfall while majority of the stations considered (Eighteen stations) exhibit homogeneous trends in annual and seasonal rainfall over the country. The performance of the different tests used in this study was consistent at the verified significance level.