This research reports a global analysis of urban precipitation anomalies encompassing over one thousand cities worldwide. While earlier studies have focused on the impact of urbanization on precipitation for specific cities or isolated thunderstorm cases, our research breaks innovative ground by mapping global urban precipitation hotspots over the past 20 y. This study provides global evidence of noticeable urban precipitation anomalies, especially in hot and humid climates. Beyond the anticipated influence of local climate, our findings reveal that higher levels of urbanization enhance these urban precipitation anomalies. This research not only deepens our understanding of how cities shape precipitation but also establishes the groundwork for incorporating urbanization considerations into future precipitation projections.
Urbanization has accelerated dramatically across the world over the past decades. Urban influence on surface temperatures is now being considered as a correction term in climatological datasets. Although prior research has investigated urban influences on precipitation for specific cities or selected thunderstorm cases, a comprehensive examination of urban precipitation anomalies on a global scale remains limited. This research is a global analysis of urban precipitation anomalies for over one thousand cities worldwide. We find that more than 60% of the global cities and their downwind regions are receiving more precipitation than the surrounding rural areas. Moreover, the magnitude of these urban wet islands has nearly doubled in the past 20 y. Urban precipitation anomalies exhibit variations across different continents and climates, with cities in Africa, for example, exhibiting the largest urban annual and extreme precipitation anomalies. Cities are more prone to substantial urban precipitation anomalies under warm and humid climates compared to cold and dry climates. Cities with larger populations, pronounced urban heat island effects, and higher aerosol loads also show noticeable precipitation enhancements. This research maps global urban rainfall hotspots, establishing a foundation for the consideration of urban rainfall corrections in climatology datasets. This advancement holds promise for projecting extreme precipitation and fostering the development of more resilient cities in the future.
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