Arid Zone Research ›› 2025, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (8): 1369-1378.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2025.08.02

• Weather and Climate • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Evolution characteristics of disaster-causing hazard of rainstorm disasters in the upper reaches of the Yellow River under the context of climate warming

LI Wanzhi1,2(), DUAN Lijun1,2(), LIU Zhenlei3, QI Menziyi1, YU Di1, YAO Haijun4   

  1. 1. Qinghai Climate Centre, Xining 810001, Qinghai, China
    2. Key Laboratory of Greenhouse Gases and Carbon Neutrality, Xining 810001, Qinghai, China
    3. Xiaogan Meteorological Bureau, Xiaogan 432000, Hubei, China
    4. Datong County Meteorological Bureau, Datong 810100, Qinghai, China
  • Received:2025-02-16 Revised:2025-06-16 Online:2025-08-15 Published:2025-11-24

Abstract:

The incidence of heavy rainfall disasters in the upper reaches of the Yellow River region has increased in recent years due to climate warming, posing risks to the long-term stability and ecological security of the basin. This study analyzed the changing characteristics of heavy rainfall events and the evolving trends of their associated hazards using meteorological observation data from 33 stations in the upper reaches of the Yellow region, spanning from 1961 to 2022. The findings revealed the following: (1) The annual mean temperature for the upper Yellow River region has shown an upward trend, with a warming rate of 0.38 ℃·(10a)-1, and a significant change in mean temperature was observed in 1997. (2) The number and intensity of rainstorm events have increased, with daily maximum precipitation, cumulative precipitation, and the duration of these events decreasing prior to climate warming but significantly increasing thereafter, indicating that rainstorms have become more extreme. (3) Following climate warming, high-risk areas for rainstorm disasters expanded considerably, with areas classified as high-risk, higher-risk, and medium-risk increasing by 1.59%, 11.46%, and 31.64% respectively, whereas low-risk areas decreased by 44.69%. The high-risk areas are primarily located in the northeast, where population density and economic activity are significant. The results of this research can inform strategies for the prevention and management of local rainstorm disasters.

Key words: climate warming, heavy rainfall disaster, disaster risk, comprehensive evaluation method, upper reaches of the Yellow River