It Never Rains but It Pours

Recent theory and model projections indicate that climate change should intensify and reorganize global precipitation patterns; however, observational confirmation has been hindered by the proliferation and interdependence of gridded products. This study revisits the changing precipitation characteristics using an artifact-controlled ensemble of gauge-, satellite-, and reanalysis-based datasets at 0.25° daily and monthly resolution for the 1995–2024 period. Concentrated along the tropics, a drying pattern has emerged, while annual maxima daily precipitation has increased simultaneously. In other words, our results indicate that a growing share of annual precipitation is delivered by upper-percentile daily events, even as the annual mean precipitation decreases. The co-occurrence of drying and intensification patterns suggests that extreme events are efficiently depleting atmospheric moisture, leading to longer dry spells and reduced total precipitation. The results highlight regions shifting toward a more intense and abrupt hydrological regime, with higher flood and drought risks despite declining mean precipitation.