Decrease of light rain events in summer associated with a warming environment in China during 1961-2005

Based on daily rainfall and temperature data for the summer monsoon season in mainland China during 1961 2005, this paper demonstrated an overall decreasing trend in the frequency of light rain events in association with regional warming, and different local trends in the frequency of moderate rain events in association with atmospheric circulation anomalies. The frequencies of moderate and extreme rain events increase in eastern China centered over the middle-lower reaches of the Yangtze River, but decrease in North China and Southwest China. This pattern of rainfall trends in China is different from that in the Indian monsoon area, where an increase of extreme rain events in the monsoon season during 1951 - 2000 was found, indicating different responses of regional monsoons to a warming environment.