In this study we propose a novel approach to standardising drought indices that offers flexibility tailored to local conditions. This involves employing different probability distributions and the Akaike Information Criterion to identify the most appropriate distribution for each region and variable. Following this approach, our proposed methodology enhances the accuracy and comparability across different spatial and temporal...

The Evaporative Demand Drought Index (EDDI), based on atmospheric evaporative demand, was proposed by Hobbins et al. (2016) to analyse and monitor drought. The EDDI uses a nonparametric approach in which empirically derived probabilities are converted to standardized values. This study evaluates the suitability of eight probability distributions to compute the EDDI at 1‐, 3‐ and 12‐month time scales, in order to provide more r...

We analysed long‐term variability and trends in meteorological droughts across Western Europe using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI). Precipitation data from 199 stations spanning the period 1851–2018 were employed, following homogenisation, to derive SPI‐3 and SPI‐12 series for each station, together with indices on drought duration and severity. Results reveal a general absence of statistically significant long‐ter...