European precipitation response to Indian ocean dipole events

Abstract

This study examines the effect of the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) on the precipitation variability in the European region. The observed summer precipitation response to IOD-related sea-surface temperature anomalies is reproduced using Atmospheric General Circulation Model (AGCM) ensemble experiments and analyzed using observations and re-analyses patterns. Precipitation associated with the strong negative independent IOD events (while El-Nino/Southern oscillation-related effect excluded) may increase up to 30–40 mm/month according to observations/re-analyses data and up to 10–12 mm/month according to numerical ensemble AGCM simulation experiments over the Central European area and decrease at the eastern part of the Russian Plain and the Ural Mountains.