Abstract:Based on the daily precipitation grid datasets from one highly-resolution regional climate model (COSMO-CLM) and five Global Climate Models (GFDL-ESM2M,HadGEM2-ES, IPSL-CM5A-LR, MIROC-ESM-CHEM, NorESM1-M) for the period 1961 to 2100 over the Yangtze River basin, the extreme precipitation for different return periods (20 and 50 years) are calculated separately by the return period method, and the spatiotemporal variation of extreme precipitation over the Yangtze River basin under the target of the global warming of 1.5℃ and 2.0℃ are analyzed in detail. The research results show that:in the 1.5℃ warming period, the 20-year and 50-year extreme precipitation in the Yangtze River basin are 78 mm and 93 mm, which will increase respectively by 10% and 9%, relative to the reference period (1986-2005). Under the global warming of 1.5℃, the spatial distribution of extreme precipitation for different return periods (20 and 50 years) shows an increasing trend in the mid-lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin, and the maximum rise is 145%, but the extreme precipitation will decrease over the upper reaches of the Yangtze River basin. In the 2.0℃ warming period, the 20-year and 50-year extreme precipitation in the Yangtze River basin are 81 mm and 98 mm respectively, which will increase respectively by 14% and 15%, relative to the reference period. There is an obvious increasing trend of extreme precipitation in the mid-lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin, and the maximum rise is 188%, but significant decrease is detected on the western and northern part of Chengdu Plain over the upper Yangtze River basin. Compared with the global warming of 1.5℃, the 20-year and 50-year extreme precipitation will increase respectively by 4% and 6% over the Yangtze River basin, especially in the mid-lower reaches of the Yangtze River under the 2.0℃ warming target, where the biggest increase is 136%.Therefore, controlling greenhouse gas emission reduction targets at 1.5℃ level is of great significance to reduce the adverse effects of extreme precipitation in the Yangtze River Basin, especially in the mid-lower reaches.