Indices of Daily Temperature and Precipitation Extremes

TEMPERATURE INDICES
A B C D E F G H I J K L N M O

STARDEX

RClimDex
ClimDex

Osborn
KT&K

Kiktev

Bonsal
Frich

ECA

APN
1 Index Description Formula Interpretation

2 ID or TXice Ice days or days without No. days TX < 0°C Day count; fixed
defrost threshold
3 FD or TNFD Frost days No. days TN < 0°C Day count; fixed
threshold
4 CFD Consecutive FD Greatest no. consec. days TN < 0° Maximum span of days
5 TNFSL Frost season length No. days between first and last frost Annual span of days
(Jan-Dec for SH; July-June for NH)
6 GSL or TGSL Growing season length Count of days between first span of at Span of days for thermal
least 6 days TG > 5°C and first span in growing season
second half of the year of 6 days TG <
5°C (Jan-Dec for SH; July-June for
NH)
7 GD4 Growing degree days Sum of TG > 4°C Temperature sum
8 HD17 Heating degree days Sum of 17°C - TG Temperature sum
9 SU Summer days No. days TX > 25°C Day count; fixed
threshold
10 TR Tropical nights No. days TN > 20°C Day count; fixed
threshold
11 TNx Monthly highest daily Monthly highest daily minimum temp. Temperature value
(also for TX) minimum temp.
12 TNn Monthly lowest daily Monthly lowest daily minimum temp. Temperature value
(also for TX) minimum temp.
13 TN10p Cold (warm) nights Percentage or no. days TN < 10ptile Day count; percentile
(also 90p and calculated for each calendar day (on threshold following
also for TX) basis of 1961-90) using running 5 day smoothed annual cycle
window
14 TG10p Cold (warm) days See TN10p, but TG < 10ptile See TN10p
(also 90p)
15 TNf10 Cold (warm) nights No. days TN < 10ptile calculated for Like TN10p, but using
(also f90 and also each season (on basis of 1961-90) seasonal thresholds
for TX)

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A B C D E F G H I J K L N M O

STARDEX

RClimDex
ClimDex

Osborn
KT&K

Kiktev

Bonsal
Frich

ECA

APN
1 Index Description Formula Interpretation

16 TNq10 Seasonal percentile 10ptile calculated for daily TN Seasonal percentile

(also q90 and temperature value
also for TX)
17 Cold Nights TN Cold nights No. days below average 1ptile of TN Like TN10p, but using
(also Cool days (on basis of 1961-90) annual thresholds for
TX) 1ptile
18 Warm Nights TN Warm nights No. days above average 99ptile of TN Like TN90p, but using
(also Hot days (on basis of 1961-90) annual thresholds for
TX) 99ptile
19 1st percentile TN Percentile values 1ptile calculated for daily TN Percentile temperature
(also 5, 10, 25, distribution on a seasonal basis (3 values
50, 75, 90, 95, 99 months)
and also for TX)
20 HWDI or Heat wave duration No. days in intervals of at least 6 days Count of days in runs of
TXHWD index with TX > mean+5°C calculated for 6 or more days;
each calendar day (on basis of 1961- smoothed annual cycle
90) using running 5 day window mean+5°C threshold
21 CWDI or Cold wave duration See HWDI, but TN < mean-5°C Like HWDI
TNCWD index
22 HWFI Warm (cold) spell days No. days in intervals of at least 6 days Count of days in runs of
(also CWFI for with TG > 90ptile calculated for each 6 or more days;
TG<10ptile) calendar day (on basis of 1961-90) smoothed annual cycle
using running 5 day window percentile threshold
23 WSDI Warm (cold) spell No. days in intervals of at least 6 days Like HWFI
(also CSDI for duration index with TX > 90ptile calculated for each
TN<10ptile) calendar day (on basis of 1961-90)
using running 5 day window
24 TXHW90 90 ptile of heat wave Max. no. consecutive days with TX > Length of maximum
duration 90ptile calculated for each calendar string of days; smoothed
day (on basis of 1961-90) using annual cycle percentile
running 5 day window threshold
25 TNCW10 10 ptile of cold wave See TXHW90 Like TXHW90
duration
26 ETR or TIAETR Extreme temperature Difference: max(TX)-min(TN) Temperature difference
range

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A B C D E F G H I J K L N M O

STARDEX

RClimDex
ClimDex

Osborn
KT&K

Kiktev

Bonsal
Frich

ECA

APN
1 Index Description Formula Interpretation

27 DTR or TRav Mean of Diurnal Average of daily TX-TN values Temperature difference
Temperature Range
28 TRQ10 10ptile diurnal 10ptile of daily TX-TN values Temperature difference
(also TRQ90) temperature range
29 vDTR Mean absolute day-to- Mean absolute day-to-day difference Temperature difference
day difference in DTR in DTR used for homogeneity
testing

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PRECIPITATION INDICES
A B C D E F G H I J K L N M O

STARDEX

RClimDex
ClimDex

Osborn
KT&K

Kiktev

Bonsal
Frich

ECA

APN
1 Index Description Formula Interpretation

2 R10mm or Heavy precipitation No. days RR ≥ 10mm Day count; fixed

PN10mm days threshold
3 R20mm Very heavy precipitation No. days RR ≥ 20mm Day count; fixed
days threshold
4 Rnnmm User defined No. days RR ≥ nn mm Day count; fixed
precipitation days threshold
5 RX1day Highest 1 day Greatest RR sum for 1 day interval Precip amount
precipitation amount
6 R5D or RX5day Highest 5 day Greatest RR sum for 5 day interval Precip amount
or PX5day precipitation amount
7 PX3day Highest 3 day Greatest RR sum for 3 day interval Precip amount
(also 10day) precipitation amount
8 CDD or PXCDD Consecutive dry days Greatest no. consec. days RR < 1mm Maximum span of days
9 CWD or Consecutive wet days Greatest no. consec. days RR ≥ 1mm Maximum span of days
PXCWD
10 R75p Moderate (very, No. days RR > 75ptile calculated for Day count; percentile
(also 95p and extremely) wet days wet days (on basis of 1961-90) threshold of amounts on
99p) wet days only
11 Extreme Rainfall extreme No. days above long-term 99ptile No. of days with rainfall
Frequency frequency calculated using all days in a year above average rank 4
event
12 Extreme Intensity Rainfall extreme Average magnitude of top 4 events Average magnitude of
intensity top 4 events
13 Extreme Rainfall extreme Proportion of annual rainfall from top Proportion of annual
Proportion proportion 4 events rainfall from top 4 events
14 R90N or PNL90 No. of events > long- No days > 90th percentile of all wet No days above a fixed
term 90th percentile of days for 1961-90 (station dependent)
raindays threshold
15 R95pTOT or Precipitation fraction Quotient of amount on R95p days and Fraction of total amount
R95T due to R95p total amount due to am. on R95p days
16 R75pTOT Precipitation fraction See R95pTOT Like R95pTOT
(also 99p) due to R75p
17 R90T or PFL90 % of total rainfall from See R95pTOT Like R95pTOT
events > long-term P90
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A B C D E F G H I J K L N M O

STARDEX

RClimDex
ClimDex

Osborn
KT&K

Kiktev

Bonsal
Frich

ECA

APN
1 Index Description Formula Interpretation

18 R95p Precipitation total when Note disagreement with

(also R99p) RR > 95ptile other R95p index
19 PRCPTOT Precipitation total in wet Used as denominator to
days (RR >= 1mm) R95p
20 SDII or PINT Simple daily intensity Quotient of amount on days RR ≥ Mean precip amount per
index 1mm and no. days RR ≥ 1mm wet day
21 Prec90p or Pq90 90th percentile of 90ptile calculated for wet days 90ptile in distribution at
(also 20, 40, 50, rainday amounts wet days
60, 80, 95) (mm/day)
22 Frac90p or Pf90 Fraction of total precip Fraction of total precip. above annual Fraction of total
(also 20, 40, 50, above annual 90ptile 90ptile calculated for wet days precipitation from events
60, 80, 95) above annual percentile
– not long-term
percentile

SOURCES

ClimDex: NCDC software used in ETCCDMI workshops until 2003 (www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/wmo/ccl)

Frich: Frich et al., Climate Research, 2002
ECA: European Climate Assessment (www.knmi.nl/samenw/eca)
KT&K: Klein Tank and Können, J. Climate, 2003
Kiktev: Kiktev et al., J. Climate, 2003
STARDEX: Stardex EU project (www.cru.uea.ac.uk/projects/stardex)
Osborn: Osborn et al., Int. J. Climatol., 2000
Bonsal: Bonsal et al., J. Climate, 2001
APN: Asian Pacific Network (www.bom.gov.au/bmrc/csr/apn)
RClimDex: CCC software used in ETCCDMI workshops from 2004 (www….)

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