Recent evidence for warmer and drier growing seasons in climate sensitive regions of Central America from multiple global datasets

Smallholder livelihoods throughout Central America are built on rain-fed agriculture and depend seasonal variations in temperature precipitation. Recent climatic shifts this highly diverse region not well understood due to sparse observations, as the skill of global climate products have been thoroughly evaluated. We examine performance for several reanalysis satellite-based data (CHIRPS/CHIRTS, ERA5, MERRA-2, PERSIANN-CDR) compared observation-based GPCC precipitation dataset. These datasets then used evaluate magnitude spatial extent hydroclimatic changes aridity drought over last four decades. focus water-limited regions that important particularly vulnerable further drying, newly delineate those Mexico by adapting prior definitions American Dry Corridor. Our results indicate CHIRPS dataset exhibits greatest study area. A general warming 0.2–0.8°C·decade−1 was found across region, spring winter, while widespread drying indicated measures summer growing season. Changes annual inconsistent, but show declines 20–25% eastern Honduras/Nicaragua parts Mexico. Some most subject statistically significant trends towards increases driven declines, and/or a lengthening winter dry season, highlighting areas where adaptation may be urgent.