Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Rainfall and Temperature Trends in Maharashtra State, India (Asia)

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 analyses the change in temperature and rainfall using Mann-Kendall and Sen's slope estimator and also identifies the variations in rainfall by using Rainfall Anomaly Index (RAI). The main purpose of this study is to assess the variation in climatic variable (temperature and rainfall) across the regions of Maharashtra over 50 years (1968-2017) which might be helpful to identify strategies that can aid in addressing the consequences of extreme climate events in the future and in formulating appropriate region-specific strategies. The trend of rainfall and temperature series for the kharif and rabi season revealed a significant increasing trend for maximum and minimum temperature, however nonsignificant decreasing trend for kharif and rabi rainfall. The RAI value indicates a relatively a greater number of dry periods in Marathwada and Vidarbha region in comparison to the Konkan, Western Maharashtra and Khandesh. The findings of the study can be useful in developing plans to manage water resources effectively and reduce the adverse impacts of droughts basically in the Marathwada and Vidarbha regions.