Trends in the extreme climate indices based on precipitation data at three stations in and around the city of Manaus for the period 1971-2007 are studied. Based on the results obtained it can be observed that there was an increase of the annual total precipitation in the area studied. At the station located in the city of Manaus (INMET), the frequency of precipitation events with 50 mm (R50mm) or more, the amount precipitation in five consecutive days (Rx5day) and the number of wet days (R95p), showed an increase, with statistical significance, indicating that Manaus may suffer with the increase of the extreme rainfall events. An increase in the positive SST anomalies in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean induce an increase of the consecutive dry days and decrease of the extreme rainfall events and, consequently, in the total precipitation in the Amazon basin. The positive SST anomalies in the South Atlantic Ocean induce the displacement of ITCZ to the south of Equator causing an increase of the precipitation in the Manaus region. The results obtained here have potential for possible prediction of precipitation characteristics at Manaus.
Precipitation; El Niño; Sea Surface Temperature; TNAI; TSAI
