Spatial analysis of extreme precipitation in Sweden 1961-2000

• Extreme daily precipitation in Sweden for the years 19612000 is analyzed with respect to spatial scale, regional variations and associated weather types. Correlograms based on a lag distance of 30 km estimated the spatial scale of variation of the annual mean precipitation, the 99(th) percentile of daily precipitation and the average of annual maximum daily precipitation to 100 km, 60-100 km and 40-70 km, respectively. Regions of correlation with respect to precipitation at 82 stations during days of extreme events are identified through Maximum-Likelihood Factor Analysis. Eleven factors are found to provide the optimum factor solution. Weather types for the days of extreme events are determined by an objective classification scheme, based on daily sea level pressure, which is modified by subjective inclusion of fronts. In total, 63% of the extreme events occurred during cyclonic weather types, 32% during frontal, 3% during directional and 2% during anticyclonic types. The frequency of the weather types during extreme events varied between the regions however.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

heavy precipitation

objective classification

climatic extremes

circulation

intensity

events

northern

europe

trends

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)