Spatial and temporal patterns of precipitation concentration and their associated risks

This study investigates changes in the widely observed precipitation pattern of "Wet getting Wetter, Dry getting Drier", but addressed these patterns in a combined spatio-temporal manner, filling a critical gap in their combined understanding in the literature. The research utilises the Gini coefficient and ERA5-Land daily data (1951-2020) to classify regions into either WWDD or WDDW patterns.

The results show that 46.4% of global land area shows increasing spatial concentration (WWDD), while 67.4% shows increasing temporal concentration (WWDD). Notably, 33.6% of the global land area exhibits a WWDD pattern in both spatial and temporal dimensions. These jointly affected regions represent an increase in precipitation becoming uneven in both time and space, thus increasing vulnerbaility.