Spatio-temporal variability of dry and wet periods in eastern China

An analysis, based on rain gauge observations, of the time-space variability of dry and wet periods during the last fifty years in eastern China is presented. The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) is used to assess the climatic conditions of the area, and principal component analysis (PCA) is applied to capture the pattern of co-variability of the index at different stations. Results suggest that the northern part of eastern China is experiencing dry conditions more frequently from the 1970s onwards indicated by a negative trend in the SPI time series. Long-term fluctuations characterize the SPI signal and contribute to the power spectrum variance at periods ranging from interdecadal to interannual time scales, that is respectively, 24 years and from 16 to 4–3.7 years. These periodic components provide a useful resource for long-term predictability of dry and wet periods in eastern China.