Zhang et al. (2026) Spatially Heterogeneous Impacts of Urbanization in Reshaping the Dry and Hot Extremes Across Chinese Cities

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Identification

• Journal: Geophysical Research Letters
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-07-17
• Authors: Hui Zhang, Mengmeng Li, Xinyang Li, Yuting Lu, Xin Huang, Tijian Wang
• DOI: 10.1029/2026gl124127

Research Groups

• National Meteorological Information Center (NMIC)
• Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)

Short Summary

This study investigates how urbanization affects dry and hot extremes in China at various temporal scales, revealing that urbanization intensifies heat extremes by 2%–20% since the 1970s. Urbanization also amplifies precipitation patterns, contributing to reduced light rainfall and exacerbated drought severity.

Objective

• Investigate the impact of urbanization on climate extremes (dry and hot) in China at various temporal scales

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: National scale across China
• Temporal Scale: 1970s–2022, with a focus on two time periods: 2003–2022

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Not specified
• Data sources: National-scale meteorological data

Main Results

• Urbanization intensified heat extremes by 2%–20% since the 1970s.
• Urban-amplified heat stress is more pronounced in highly urbanized areas and hot, humid climatic conditions.
• Urbanization amplifies asymmetric precipitation patterns, contributing to reduced light rainfall (13%) and exacerbated drought severity (41%) in most inland areas.

Contributions

This study provides valuable insights into the interplay between urbanization and climate extremes, highlighting the need for adaptation strategies to enhance urban resilience.

Funding

• National Key Research and Development Program of China (2020YFA0607802)
• National Natural Science Foundation of China (42061124001)

Citation

@article{Zhang2026Spatially,
  author = {Zhang, Hui and Li, Mengmeng and Li, Xinyang and Lu, Yuting and Huang, Xin and Wang, Tijian},
  title = {Spatially Heterogeneous Impacts of Urbanization in Reshaping the Dry and Hot Extremes Across Chinese Cities},
  journal = {Geophysical Research Letters},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1029/2026gl124127},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1029/2026gl124127}
}