Abstract:Drought is one of the most severe agro-meteorological hazards in Jiangsu Province, China. Accurate characterization of its spatiotemporal evolution is essential for agricultural water resources management and drought risk mitigation. Using the second-generation China Meteorological Forcing Dataset (CMFD 2.0) and daily meteorological observations from 13 normal weather stations and three solar radiation stations in Jiangsu Province, reference evapotranspiration (ET0) was estimated by using the FAO-56 Penman-Monteith (P-M) and Priestley-Taylor (P-T) models. The applicability of CMFD 2.0 in Jiangsu Province was evaluated, and the accuracy of ET0 estimated by coupling CMFD 2.0 with the P-T model was assessed. Monthly standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) values were then calculated by using the estimated ET0 and CMFD 2.0 precipitation data. Combined with the modified Mann-Kendall test, the spatiotemporal evolution of meteorological drought frequency, duration, and intensity in Jiangsu Province was analyzed from the perspectives of interannual variability, seasonal differences, and spatial patterns. The results showed that the CMFD 2.0 air temperature and solar radiation datasets exhibited high accuracy, with coefficients of determination (R2) of 0.987, 0.950, 0.871, and 0.960 for daily maximum temperature, daily minimum temperature, daily solar radiation, and monthly precipitation, respectively. The corresponding root mean square errors (RMSEs) were 1.30℃, 2.17℃, 2.95 MJ/(m2·d), and 18.18 mm. In contrast, the daily precipitation dataset showed relatively lower accuracy (R2=0.648, RMSE=6.16 mm). The ET0 estimated by using the CMFD 2.0-driven P-T model agreed well with that estimated using the station-observation-driven P-M model (R2=0.88, RMSE=0.81 mm/d). The SPEI derived from CMFD agreed well with that derived from station observations (R2=0.942, RMSE=0.24). The overall accuracy (OA) and Kappa coefficient for drought category classification were 87.72% and 0.760, respectively. Most classification errors occurred between adjacent drought categories, suggesting that they did not substantially affect the reliability of regional drought monitoring. The annual mean SPEI showed no significant trend during 1951—2024, whereas significant seasonal differences were observed. Spring SPEI exhibited a significant decreasing trend at a rate of -0.083 decade-1, while no significant trends were detected in the other seasons. The occurrence frequencies of mild, moderate, severe, and extreme droughts were 15.6%, 9.5%, 3.8%, and 2.1%, respectively. Drought occurred most frequently in February (36.0%) and least frequently in October (30.7%). Drought occurrence and cumulative duration exhibited a clear spatial pattern of being higher in northern Jiangsu and lower in southern Jiangsu, whereas drought intensity showed more complex local variations. Northern Jiangsu was identified as the most drought-prone region, while droughts in southern Jiangsu were characterized by lower frequency but higher severity. Among the four seasons, spring showed the largest spatial variation in drought frequency (2.7%~60.2%), whereas summer exhibited the smallest variation (23.9%~43.2%). Drought frequency in spring, autumn, and winter generally increased during the study period, with 52.7% of the study area showing a significant increasing trend in spring, while drought frequency in summer was dominated by a decreasing trend. Both drought duration and drought intensity increased in northern Jiangsu but decreased in southern Jiangsu, indicating that northern Jiangsu faced a higher drought risk and required strengthened drought monitoring and early warning.