| Summary: | The association between changes in land use combined with climate variations partially explains the degradation in the water resources of the Brazilian semiarid. The existence of local and regional tendencies in meteorological variables, which are important for agricultural and electric energy production sectors, and centers for prediction of meteorological extremes, was investigated, using parametric and non-parametric statistical tests. The application of the Mann-Kendall sequential test allowed detection of years when tendencies of increase or decrease in atmospheric humidity started by using meteorological data from the period 1975 to 2015. The results indicate that, despite the observed similarities in the climate regime, the Bebedouro (PE) and Mandacaru (BA) regions show distinct variability patterns, which may be attributed to effects caused by interventions in soil cover and use. Changes in the atmospheric pattern that favored the occurrence of extreme precipitation events were investigated by means of factorial analysis. The increase in atmospheric moisture due to agricultural expansion in Caatinga areas is one of the main factors involved in the increase of cloudiness.
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