Changes in Global Precipitation from the 18th Century to 2013

Precipitation measurements made at nearly 1,000 stations located in 114 countries were studied to examine the anthropogenic influence on changes in global precipitation. The IPCC has reported that precipitation increased in some regions by as much as 1% in each decade of the 20th century. Each station had at least 100 years of observations resulting in a dataset comprising over 1½ million monthly precipitation amounts. Data for some stations extend back to the 1700s although most of the data exist for the period after 1850. The total annual precipitation was found if all monthly data in a given year were present. The percentage annual precipitation change relative to 1961-90 are reported for various regions including 6 continents; as well as for stations at different latitudes and those experiencing low, moderate and high annual precipitation totals. The results are important for examining decadal variability and studying regional climate change effects.