Assessment of Precipitation and Associated Extremes in CORDEX Simulations Over Côte d’Ivoire

This study assesses the performance of the 14‐member multi‐model ensemble (MME) from the COordinated Regional climate Downscaling EXperiment (CORDEX)‐Africa initiative in reproducing precipitation and associated extremes indices over Côte d’Ivoire during the period 1983–2005. The analysis focuses on the three principal phases of the West African Monsoon (WAM): April–June (AMJ, pre‐monsoon); July–September (JAS, mature monsoon); and October–December (OND, post‐monsoon). Model performance is assessed by comparing the spatial variability of seasonal precipitation and extremes indices with respect to the gridded observation products (CPC and ARC2). The results indicate that CORDEX‐Africa MME is able to reproduce the spatial variability of the precipitation and associated extremes, including consecutive dry days (CDDs), consecutive wet days (CWDs), the simple daily intensity index (SDII), and total precipitation above the 95 th percentile (R95PTOT) against two gridded observational datasets (CPC and ARC2). The results indicate that CORDEX‐Africa MME satisfactorily reproduces the spatial patterns of seasonal precipitation and associated extremes across Côte d’Ivoire, although systematic biases persist, partly reflecting uncertainties between the observational reference datasets. Overall, seasonal precipitation is overestimated during most WAM phases, except during AMJ, when an underestimation of ~20% is observed in the coastal (littoral) climate zone. Regarding precipitation extremes, the ensemble generally underestimates rainfall intensity indices (SDII and R95PTOT) across all phases. However, R95PTOT is overestimated in the northern climatic zone during AMJ and OND, with positive biases of ~24% and 10%, respectively. Both dry spells (CDDs) and wet spells (CWDs) are predominantly overestimated throughout the monsoon cycle. An exception occurs during JAS, when CDD is underestimated by about 15 days in southern Côte d’Ivoire. These findings emphasize the importance of regional‐scale evaluation of climate simulations prior to their application in future climate projections. Such localized assessments are essential to ensure robust interpretation of projected changes and to provide reliable scientific guidance for national adaptation and climate risk management strategies.