Bai et al. (2026) Heatwave-dominated changes in compound drought and heatwave events in the middle and lower Yangtze River Basin, China, during 1961–2020

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Hydrology Regional Studies
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-09-18
• Authors: Qinmian Bai, Xingdong Zhang, Chunmei Chen, Wei Wang, Aiqing Feng, Shaohong Wu, Shanfeng He
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrh.2026.103995

Research Groups

• School of Geography and Tourism, Qufu Normal University
• College of Geography and Remote Sensing, Hohai University
• School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University
• China Meteorological Administration Key Laboratory for Climate Prediction Studies, National Climate Centre
• Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Short Summary

This study examines the long-term changes, periodic variability, spatial patterns, and amplification characteristics of warm-season compound drought and heatwave events (CDHWs) in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Basin, China. The results show a clear transition around the 1990s, with decreasing tendencies before 1990 and widespread increases thereafter.

Objective

• Investigate the long-term evolution of CDHWs in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Basin during 1961–2020.
• Examine the differences between CDHWs and single heatwaves or droughts in terms of temperature, precipitation, and duration.
• Assess the relative explanatory contributions of heatwave and drought indicators to CDHW variability.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Basin, China (approximately 7.95 × 10^5 km²).
• Temporal Scale: Daily meteorological observations from 1961 to 2020.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: None specified.
• Data sources:
  • Daily mean temperature, daily maximum temperature, daily minimum temperature, and daily precipitation from the National Meteorological Information Centre of the China Meteorological Administration (CMA).
  • Elevation data from the National Cryosphere Desert Data Centre (NCDC).

Main Results

• CDHWs in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Basin exhibited a clear transition around the 1990s, with decreasing tendencies before 1990 and widespread increases thereafter.
• The relative explanatory contributions of heatwave indicators were larger than those of drought indicators for all three CDHW metrics.

Contributions

• This study provides regional evidence for understanding the evolution and amplification of CDHWs in the Yangtze River Basin.
• The results highlight the need to integrate heatwave monitoring with drought risk management to improve early warning and climate adaptation strategies in the region.

Funding

• Not specified.

Citation

@article{Bai2026Heatwavedominated,
  author = {Bai, Qinmian and Zhang, Xingdong and Chen, Chunmei and Wang, Wei and Feng, Aiqing and Wu, Shaohong and He, Shanfeng},
  title = {Heatwave-dominated changes in compound drought and heatwave events in the middle and lower Yangtze River Basin, China, during 1961–2020},
  journal = {Journal of Hydrology Regional Studies},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.ejrh.2026.103995},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2026.103995}
}