A Monthly Atmospheric Circulation Classification and Its Relationship with Climate in Harbin

In this study, the classification scheme developed by Jenkinson and Collison （1977） based on a typing scheme of Lamb （1950） is applied to obtain circulation types from the mean sea-level pressure on a monthly basis. Monthly mean sea-level pressure data from 1951 to 2002 are used to derive six circulation indices and to provide a circulation catalogue with 27 circulation types. Five major types （N, NW, C, CSW, and SW） which occurred most frequently are analyzed to reveal their relationships with the temperature of Harbin on various time scales. Stepwise multiple regression is used to reconstruct temperature anomaly. The monthly mean rainfall of all types occurring and the composite maps of three major types （C, CSW, and SW） relevant to Harbin＇s precipitation are studied. The results show that the dominant types in winter are types N and NW. types C, CSW, and SW occur frequently in summer. Types N and NW favor a negative temperature anomaly and correspond to less rainfall, while types C, CSW, and SW often induce a positive temperature anomaly and correspond to more rainfall. Moreover, a successful statistical model can be established with only one of the six indices and large-scale mean temperature. Using the model, 77.3% of the total variance in the temperature anomaly between 1951 and 2002 can be reconstructed. Type C has a close relationship with total rainfall and type C precipitation plays a major role in determining the total rainfall of Harbin in recent years. This classification scheme is a statistical downscaling model and its relationships with temperature and precipitation can be used to forecast regional climate.

Influence of the Boundary Forcing on the Internal Variability of a Regional Climate Model

The internal variability of a ten-member ensemble of the regional climate model REMO over Europe is investigated. It is shown that the annual cycle of internal variability behaves differently compared to earlier studies that focused on other regions. To gain better insight into the dependence of the internal variability on the boundary forcing variability, a circulation type classification is performed on the forcing data. It can be shown that especially in the winter season internal variability is dependent on the circulation type included in the boundary forcing, whereas in the summer season the level and pattern of internal variability is rather independent from the circulation type of the driving field. It is concluded that for Europe the internal variability of REMO in winter is governed by circulation patterns related to the North-Atlantic Oscillation, whereas in summer local processes play a bigger role.

Objective Analysis of Circulation Extremes During the 21 July 2012Torrential Rain in Beijing

It has been reported that the heaviest rain event since 1951 hit Beijing on 21 July 2012 （henceforth referred to as the 721 case）.The frequency and extreme attributes of the large-scale circulation patterns observed during the 721 case are explored by using obliquely rotated T-mode principle component analysis （PCA） and reanalysis data from NCEP/NCAR.The occurrence frequency of the 721-type circulation during the summers of 1951-2012 is 10.9%,while the frequency of torrential rain under this type of circulation is 4.51%.Relative to other rainstorms with similar large-scale circulations during the study period,the 721 case is characterized by a more westward extension of the subtropical high over the western North Pacific,a stronger low-level jet in the lower troposphere over the south of Beijing,a larger amount of ambient precipitable water,and a stronger vertical wind shear over Beijing.Among the 621 days with the 721-type circulation during the study period,the 721 case ranks the 54th in terms of the 925-hPa low-level jet south of Beijing,the 209th in terms of the local vertical wind shear,and the 8th in terms of the local precipitable water.The 721 case is particularly extreme with respect to the 925-hPa low-level jet south of Beijing and local precipitable water.Cases with similar circulations and equal or greater values of the 925-hPa low-level jet south of Beijing and local precipitable water have occurred thrice during the summers of 1951-2012 （i.e.,once every 21 years）.

Genetic climatic regionalization of the Balkan Peninsula using cluster analysis

Sea Level Pressure（SLP） data for the period 1950–2012 at 61 stations located in or around the Balkan Peninsula was used. The main concept is that intra-annual course of SLP represents the best different air masses that are situated over the Balkan Peninsula during the year. The method for differentiation of climatic zones is cluster analysis. A hierarchical clustering technique–average linkage between groups with Pearson correlation for measurement of intervals was employed in the research. The climate of the Balkan Peninsula is transitional between oceanic and continental and also between subtropical and temperate climates. Several major changes in atmospheric circulation over the Balkan Peninsula have happened over the period 1950–2012. There is a serious increase of the influence of the Azores High in the period January–Marchwhich leads to an increase of SLP and enhances oceanic influence. There is an increase of the influence of the north-west extension of the monsoonal low in the period June–September. This leads to more continental climatebut also to more tropical air masses over the Balkan Peninsula. Accordinglythe extent of subtropical climate widens in northern direction. There is an increase of the influence of the Siberian High in the period October–December. This influence covers central and eastern part of the peninsula in October and Novemberand it reaches western parts in December. Thusthe climate becomes more continental.