Constructing suitable meteorological drought indicators is an important foundation for drought monitoring and drought evaluation services. Based on the daily average temperature and precipitation of 155 national meteorological stations in Sichuan Province from 1997 to 2021, as well as the crop area data of each county (city or district), the modified meteorological drought composite index (MCI_m) is formed by improving the seasonal adjustment coefficient of the meteorological drought composite index (MCI). The regional drought process identification method was revised according to annual drought disaster area and annual effective irrigation area and 51 regional drought processes in Sichuan Province were identified in the past years. The temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of regional drought processes in Sichuan Province were analyzed by using empirical orthogonal function (EOF), rotated empirical orthogonal function (REOF) and Morlet wavelet analysis. The results show that the evolution results of the durative day, average intensity, average impact area and comprehensive intensity index of the regional drought processes in Sichuan Province decrease initially, followed by increase, but then again decrease. The average annual cumulative days of regional drought process in the basin area were more than those in the mountains area around the basin, and those in the mountains area around the basin were more than those in western Sichuan Plateau and Panxi area. The spatial pattern of annual accumulated MCI_m anomaly decomposed by EOF was consistent in Sichuan Province and was also opposite in the northern and southern parts of Sichuan. Sichuan Province can be divided into six drought climatic areas. The annual cumulative MCI_m periodic change from 2009 to 2015 was more obvious than that from 2001 to 2008 in each area. The identified regional drought processes according to improved regional drought process identification method are in good agreement with the drought disaster situation and could better reflect the actual situation of drought in Sichuan Province more accurately.

Based on the daily meteorological observation data at 441 national meteorological stations in southwestern China in summer from 1961 to 2022, the basic climatic situation, characteristics of high temperature and drought disasters and their main impacts in southwestern China in summer 2022 are analyzed. The results show that the severity of this extreme high temperature and drought event is historically rare. Compared with the historical corresponding period, the average temperature and the extreme maximum temperature were the highest, the precipitation was the least, and the high-temperature days was the most in the summer of 2022 in southwestern China. In addition, the persistent high temperature was accompanied by a severe meteorological drought in eastern part of southwestern China. The 105 meteorological stations of the central Xizang, most areas of Sichuan, most areas of Chongqing, the north of Guizhou and local regions of central Yunnan happened extreme droughts. Under the impacts of the compound high temperature and drought, the output of some crops in the east of southwest China reduced, even extremely, the inflow of rivers appeared a rare phenomenon of ‘returning to dry in flood season’, and the power load hit a new record and the hydropower generation decreased sharply, resulting in a shortage of energy supply. Moreover, several forest fires broke out in eastern Sichuan Basin and western Chongqing. This article aims to understand this extreme high temperature and drought event from a scientific perspective, facilitate the development of meteorological disaster risk assessment, provide scientific and technological support for improving disaster prevention and mitigation and dealing with climate change.