Based on the meteorological data of the Yellow River Basin from 1961 to 2022, the trends and abrupt changes in temperature and precipitation were analyzed. Using the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index(SPEI) as the drought indicator, the annualscale variations in meteorological drought characteristics and drought recovery features in the Yellow River Basin were studied. The run theory was employed to extract drought characteristic indexes and drought recovery characteristic indexes, while the MannKendall trend test method was applied to analyze the drought index and drought recovery characteristics in the Yellow River Basin from 1961 to 2022. The results indicate that the climate of the Yellow River Basin is complex, with uneven spatiotemporal distribution of drought indexes. From 1961 to 2022, meteorological drought showed a significant increasing trend in the lower reaches of the Yellow River Basin, while in most areas of the upper and middle reaches, meteorological drought exhibited a decreasing trend, with a minority of areas showing an increasing trend. The drought recovery rate demonstrated a significant increasing trend in the lower reaches of the Yellow River Basin, whereas in most areas of the upper and middle reaches, the drought recovery rate displayed a decreasing trend, with a minority of areas showing an increasing trend. Precipitation and temperature are identified as important factors influencing drought conditions in the Yellow River Basin, with precipitation playing a relatively more significant role.