World map showing the difference of a metric of extreme hot days between two periods
The difference of a metric of extreme hot days (TX90p) between two periods (years 1981-2010 minus years 1951-1980). This TX90p metric is the number of days in each year when the maximum daily temperature exceeds the 90th percentile of observational record. Credit: Dunn et al. [2020], Figure 2b
Source: Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres

Changes in climate extremes can have significant impacts on human society and ecosystems. The HadEX3 dataset describes and uses the newest source of comprehensive observations to quantify the changes of these extremes in daily temperature and precipitation.

Dunn et al. [2020] show that the extremes related to daily minimum temperatures are changing faster than the maximum, all of which are consistent with widespread global warming. Spatial changes in the linear trends of precipitation indices over 1951-2018 are less homogeneous than those for temperature indices, but the fraction of precipitation falling in heavy events globally has increased.

Citation: Dunn, R. J. H., Alexander, L. V., Donat, M. G., Zhang, X., Bador, M., Herold, N., et al. [2020]. Development of an updated global land in situ‐based data set of temperature and precipitation extremes: HadEX3. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 125, e2019JD032263. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JD032263

—Minghua Zhang, Editor in Chief, JGR: Atmospheres

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