Science Source

Changes in monthly precipitation and flood hazard in the Yangtze River Basin, China

Conducts a study of change of meteorological and hydrological variables (precipitation, intense precipitation, and river flow) in the Yangtze River Basin for particular calendar months
Finds significant changes in many monthly precipitation datasets collected between 1961 and 2000
Detects the strongest relative increase in January, when the monthly precipitation is low in absolute terms
Finds that changes in the monthly precipitation in spring and summer, from April to August, some of which are statistically significant, are of direct importance to seasonal flood hazard
States the significant precipitation rise detected in June, July, and August tends to aggravate the flood hazard
Results of change detection in time series of intense precipitation in the Yangtze River Basin indicate that more precipitation falls in intense events at the expense of moderate and weak events
Detects significant upward trends in the discharge of the River Yangtze in summer months in the middle and lower regions
Examines precipitation in the Yangtze River Basin and discharge in the mainstream Yangtze (gauges Yichang and Datong) in summer 1998, in order to interpret the background of the catastrophic flood which is considered to be the costliest flood ever, worldwide