CHARACTERISTICS OF RAINFALL VARIATION OVER EAST CHINA FOR THE LAST 50 YEARS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH DROUGHTS AND FLOODS

With the precipitation data of 113 stations in East China during the last 50 years, the characteristics of the precipitation, including Precipitation Concentration Degree (PCD) and Precipitation Concentration Period (PCP) and their tendencies, are analyzed. The results show that the PCD in the northern part of the region is markedly higher than that in the southern part, but the PCP in the south is much earlier than that in the north by about one and a half months, which displays significant regional differences in precipitation. With the global warming, precipitation over East China shows an increasing tendency, but PCD displays a trend that is neither increasing nor decreasing. At the same time, the PCP is later than before, which can be mainly found in Jiangxi and southern Henan provinces. As a result, there are strong associations between the precipitation, PCD and PCP, which can be shown in the years with more precipitation, stronger PCD and later-than-usual PCP. In a word, the abnormal distribution of precipitation, PCP, and PCD over East China results in more extreme events of precipitation and more droughts and floods.