Abstract:The rapid development of urbanization and other human activities are closely related to the frequency and intensity of extreme precipitation. It is of great significance to explore the impact of urbanization on extreme precipitation. Taking the Lake Taihu Plain region as an instance, based on the daily rainfall data of 40 stations during 1976-2015 as well as land utility and cover change and socio-economic data in the region, this paper revealed the temporal and spatial variations of extreme precipitation indices in different urbanization stages, and quantitatively assessed the contribution rate of urbanization. The results indicated that:(1) Except for consecutive dry days and consecutive wet days, the extreme precipitation indices exhibited upward trends. Moreover, most stations with significant increase in magnitude indices were located in highly urbanized areas. (2) On the whole, the urbanization effect in urban stations promoted the intensity and frequency of precipitation with the contribution rate above 11% positively; while the urbanization effect in urban and suburban stations showed different effects on the frequency and duration of extreme precipitation. In summary, the variations of extreme precipitation in urban areas are much more intense than in rural areas, resulting in more concentrated precipitation in suburban areas and increased flood risk.