Exploring Climate Patterns in Karnataka, India: A Comprehensive Examination of Rainfall and Temperature Variability Over Time and Space

Abstract

Examining the manifestations and effects of climate change is critically dependent on the spatiotemporal analysis of meteorological variables, particularly in areas where agriculture depends on rainfall. The present study analyzes the change in temperature and rainfall using Mann-Kendall and Sen's slope estimator and also identifies the variations in rainfall by using the Rainfall Anomaly Index (RAI). The main purpose of this study is to assess the variation in climatic variables (temperature and rainfall) among four taluks of Karnataka over 42 years (1981–2022), which might help identify strategies that can aid in addressing the consequences of extreme climate events in the future and in formulating appropriate taluk-specific strategies. The trend analysis of the temperature series revealed a significant increasing trend for the minimum temperature for both seasons, whereas the maximum temperature in the Kharif season shows a decreasing trend. However, there is a significant increasing trend in kharif season rainfall and a nonsignificant increasing trend for rabi season rainfall. The RAI value indicates a relatively greater number of dry periods in Gurmitkal taluk in comparison to Chittapur, Sedam and Yadgigi taluks. The findings of the study can be useful in developing plans to manage water resources effectively and reduce the adverse impacts of droughts, mainly in the study area taluks.