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Variability of Meteorological Droughts Over India

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Observed Climate Variability and Change over the Indian Region

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Abstract

The variability of meteorological droughts over India for the period 1901–2010 is examined using district-wise and all-India drought indices, viz Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). All-India droughts were observed during 18 % of the years considered. Even though frequency of moderate district-wide drought conditions occurs over most parts of the country, more intense droughts are mainly observed over north and northwest India and neighboring Central India. The warmer SSTs over the tropical oceans are found to be significantly associated with the variability of meteorological droughts over India. The present analysis reveals that there is a significant increasing trend in the intensity and areal coverage of moderate droughts over India during the recent years, since 1950s.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. India Meteorological Department, Earth System Science Organization, Pune, India

    D. S. Pai & Pulak Guhathakurta

  2. Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Earth System Science Organization, Pune, India

    Ashwini Kulkarni

  3. Earth System Science Organization, Ministry of Earth Sciences, New Delhi, India

    M. N. Rajeevan

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  1. D. S. Pai
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  2. Pulak Guhathakurta
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  1. Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, New Delhi, Delhi, India

    M. N. Rajeevan

  2. Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, New Delhi, Delhi, India

    Shailesh Nayak

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Pai, D.S., Guhathakurta, P., Kulkarni, A., Rajeevan, M.N. (2017). Variability of Meteorological Droughts Over India. In: Rajeevan, M., Nayak, S. (eds) Observed Climate Variability and Change over the Indian Region. Springer Geology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-2531-0_5

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