Abstract: Based on review of the main progresses in precipitation extremes under the background of global warming, this study discusses the character of change in precipitation extremes. It indicates that during the recent 50 years, in most parts of China, the number of precipitation days has decreased significantly except in Northwest China, while the precipitation intensity has increased significantly. In North China, the precipitation extreme has decreased, but the proportion of extreme precipitation to the total has increased relatively; the intense precipitation extreme has become frequently in the western Northwest China, over and to the south of the Yangtze River. The annual precipitation amount from wet spells has decreased significantly in North China, eastern Northeast China and the eastern part of Southwest China, but increased in the eastern Tibetan Plateau and some southeast coastal areas. The number of days of trace precipitation has decreased is an important drought tendency. The relationship between extreme precipitation and total precipitation is very complicated under the impact of climate warming.

Key words: climate change, extreme precipitation events, observation