Evidence of links between regional climate change and precipitation extremes over India

A significant change in the precipitation pattern over India has been reported in previous studies. This change includes an increase in heavy precipitation and a decrease in light and/or moderate precipitation. This study examines the possible link between these changes and regional climate conditions, using regional surface temperature and Vertically Integrated Moisture Transport (VIMT) records. It is reported that precipitation extremes during the southwest (SW) monsoon season show coherent variability with surface temperature over India. The precipitation spectrum shows significant changes from cold to warm years, with increases in heavy precipitation and decreases in light and/or moderate precipitation. The study reveals a decreasing trend in VIMT over the Bay of Bengal, which is consistent with decreases in the number of monsoon depressions over the region. It is observed that an increase in VIMT over the Arabian Sea shows coherent variation with precipitation extremes over India. The results reported in this article are crucial when considering the increase in drought and flood events in a changing climate.