Abstract:
This study establishes a precipitation dataset for China over the last 120 years. Pre-1950 precipitation records from 60 sites rescued by the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) and post-1950 in-situ measurements from 2419 national observatories are merged to obtain long time series since the 1900s. A total of 2446 daily and monthly precipitation time series are included in this dataset, including 321, 126, and 60 sequences with records before 1945, 1930, and 1915, respectively. The breaks caused by inhomogeneity issues in historical data are checked and removed via the PMF (Penalized Maximal F test)/PMT (Penalized Maximal T test), and QM (Quantile Match) methods, respectively. A total of 113 breakpoints from 107 stations are identified, which notably deviate the precipitation and seasonal variability from the regional climate state. Homogenizing adjustments eliminate these surges and slumps in historical data induced by means of nonclimatic factors. The homogenized data exhibit considerably higher spatial and temporal consistencies with neighboring measurements. Based on the homogenized data, the precipitation amounts over China exhibit slight changes over the last 120 years and the rate of change of the precipitation anomalies (in percentage) from 1900 to 2022 is approximately (0.35%±0.21)% (10 a)
−1.