Regional climate and extreme event change patterns in China since 1961

Under the background of global warming, significant changes have occurred in the regional climate and extreme weather events in China. A deep understanding and recognition of the changing patterns and driving mechanisms of regional climate and extreme weather events is of great scientific significance for climate change adaptation and disaster risk management. This study reviewed and summarized the latest scientific advancements, and compared the consistency and differences in climate change responses between eastern and western China. The research indicates that since 1961, temperature and precipitation in China have shown an overall increasing trend, with precipitation changes displaying distinct regional characteristics. A notable feature of climate change in western China is “warming-wetting”, mainly in the Northwest China and northern Tibetan Plateau, while some areas in the Southwest China exhibit aridification characteristics of “warming-drying”. In the eastern China, precipitation has mainly followed a “southern flood-northern drought” pattern. After 2010, with a significant increase in precipitation in the Northeast and North China regions, this pattern gradually changed. With climate warming, the frequency and intensity of extreme high temperatures, heavy rainfall, and drought events have significantly increased. Human activities, primarily from greenhouse gas emissions, is the main driving factor behind observed increases in average temperatures and extreme temperatures. Both human activities and internal variability of the climate system jointly drive changes in regional precipitation. Additionally, this study looks ahead to key scientific issues and challenges in the future research of climate change in China.