Clausius-Clapeyron-like relationship in multidecadal changes of extreme short-term precipitation and temperature in Japan

Abstract

Long-term changes in extreme precipitation were studied using data of daily maximum 10-min and hourly precipitation, as well as daily total precipitation for 60years (1951-2010) in Japan. It was found that extreme 10-min and hourly precipitations, defined from 5-year averages of annual maximum and 95th percentile values, have a high correlation with temperature with a rate of 9.7±4.1% and 8.8±8.3%K-1, respectively. These values are close to the Clausius-Clapeyron (CC) rate of change in saturation vapor pressure (about 6% per degree), indicating that the CC relation roughly holds for multidecadal changes in extreme short-time precipitation in Japan. © 2013 Royal Meteorological Society.