More concentrated precipitation decreases terrestrial water storage (opens in new tab)

Terrestrial water availability is a key determinant of human and ecosystem well-being1,2. Apart from mean precipitation and evaporation changes3,4, it is unknown how daily-scale precipitation concentration into fewer, heavier events affects hydrologic partitioning and the land water balance5–9. Here we show observationally that more concentrated precipitation decreases land water availability across all climates globally, a drying effect as strong in magnitude as the wetting effect of increas...