extremes in wet, dry spells increasing for South Asian monsoons

Rain falls near a village in the Western Ghats, India. Stanford scientists studied Indian monsoon data for extreme wet and dry spells that occur only a few times a year but have a large impact on agriculture.

Climate scientists and statisticians have found changing patterns in South Asian monsoons since 1980: more extreme wet and dry spells. In particular, the researchers observed increases in the intensity of wet spells and in the frequency of dry spells. The discoveries are the result of a new collaboration between climate scientists and statisticians that focused on utilizing statistical methods for analyzing rare geophysical events.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140428121210.htm