Abstract: Based on the reanalyzed thermal content data from American Scripps Sea Research Institute,the monthly precipitation data of the Low Latitude Plateau,and NCEP/ NCAR reanalysis data from 1961 to 2003,the relationship between Indian Ocean warm pool (IOWP) thermal content and Low Latitude Plateau (LLP) precipitation form June to August has been studied by using the empirical orthogonal function (EOF) methods,correlation analysis and composite analysis.Results of EOF analysis of Indian Ocean warm pool thermal content show that the EOF1 mode,which accounts for 28% of total variance,consistently represents variations of thermal content over Indian Ocean warm pool.The Low Latitude Plateau summer precipitation is notably influenced by Indian Ocean warm pool thermal content.When the IOWP thermal content is in a high (low) phase,the continuous heating of the IOWP can evoke anti-cyclonic circulation anomaly and cause the subtropical high extent to west,enhancing meridional water vapor transport band along the periphery of subtropical high from the Bengal Bay to the Low Latitude Plateau and resulting in more rainfall in northern and eastern LLP.By contrast,when the IOWP thermal content is low,the southwest water vapor transport band is weak; hence the water vapor cannot prevail to Low Latitude Plateau,leading to less rainfall there in summer.