Evaluating the h‐index as a climate metric for the Arabian Peninsula

Abstract

A number of indices exist to help climatologists understand and communicate varying aspects of local to global scale conditions. The h‐index can be applied to weather data to summarize the magnitude and frequency of heat events on an annual or seasonal basis. Using both station and reanalysis model output data for the Arabian Peninsula, this research documents the value of the h‐index approach. The method is applied to daily high temperature, daily high apparent temperature, warm overnight low temperature and warm overnight apparent temperature for the period 1991–2022. Application of the h‐index approach to data from the Arabian Peninsula provides findings that strengthen and add to existing knowledge for the region. Findings from analysis of the ERA5‐Land dataset reinforce the findings from station data and provide results for wall‐to‐wall coverage of the study area, with lower h‐index values at higher elevations. Trend analysis results corroborate ideas related to greater warming of overnight lows. The findings document that the h‐index can be used in a subtropical desert climate region.