Dominant role of climate in determining spatio-temporal distribution of potential groundwater recharge at a regional scale

•GR simulated at a regional scale with robust data to explore impacts of soil, climate and vegetation.•Low intensity of GR interspersed with extreme rainfall-induced high GR being episodic or seasonal.•Dominant control of P on spatial GR and of ETp on temporal GR highlights the importance of climate on GR at regional scales.