Fátima Espírito Santo,M. Isabel Pedroso de Lima,Alexandre M. Ramos, IMAR - Institute of Marine Research; Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, Department of Forest Resources / ESAC, iplima@esac.pt
Abstract
Variations in the occurrence of extreme precipitation are expected to result from changes in the climate. The potential impacts of those changes on society and the environment makes it mandatory to understand regional specificities. This work explores recent modifications in the occurrence of precipitation extremes in mainland Portugal (south-western Europe) such as the intensity, duration and frequency of those events. It investigates trends and variations in selected precipitation indices for different time periods and seasons. Data include daily precipitation from 57 climatological weather stations and rain-gauges, covering the period 1941-2007. Results show that there are regional differences in patterns of precipitation trends. Moreover, there are marked differences for trends in extremes, depending on the season, which further strengthens precipitation seasonality.
Keywords: extremes, precipitation, trend