On the Stationarity of the Global Spatial Dependency of Heat Risk on Drought

Abstract

AbstractLand surface processes such as the soil moisture—air temperature coupling influence compound climate anomalies like heatwaves and droughts, yet the spatial and temporal variability of the coupling strength is still understudied. We assess global land exposure to concurrent heat waves and drought since the 1980s. We found that drought significantly shapes the spatial distribution of the risk of heat waves. We show that the portion of global land experiencing drought‐conditioned heat anomalies more than tripled in less than 3 decades. However, using such traditional heat waves indicators, the level of spatial coupling between heat waves and drought seems to decline. Conversely, time‐dependent approaches accounting for the baseline climate change offer a more stable perspective. We conclude that tailoring hazard definitions to specific processes and impacts is crucial. Early warning systems can play a prominent role in mitigating the impacts of global warming to society.