Impacts of Future Changes in Heavy Precipitation and Extreme Drought on the Economy over South China and Indochina

Heavy precipitation and extreme drought have caused severe economic losses over South China and Indochina(INCSC)in recent decades.Given the areas with large gross domestic product(GDP)in the INCSC region are distributed along the coastline and greatly affected by global warming,understanding the possible economic impacts induced by future changes in the maximum consecutive 5-day precipitation(RX5day)and the maximum consecutive dry days(CDD)is critical for adaptation planning in this region.Based on the latest data released by phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project(CMIP6),future projections of precipitation extremes with bias correction and their impacts on GDP over the INCSC region under the fossil-fueled development Shared Socioeconomic Pathway(SSP5-8.5)are investigated.Results indicate that RX5day will intensify robustly throughout the INCSC region,while CDD will lengthen in most regions under global warming.The changes in climate consistently dominate the effect on GDP over the INCSC region,rather than the change of GDP.If only considering the effect of climate change on GDP,the changes in precipitation extremes bring a larger impact on the economy in the future to the provinces of Hunan,Jiangxi,Fujian,Guangdong,and Hainan in South China,as well as the Malay Peninsula and southern Cambodia in Indochina.Thus,timely regional adaptation strategies are urgent for these regions.Moreover,from the sub-regional average viewpoint,over two thirds of CMIP6 models agree that maintaining a lower global warming level will reduce the economic impacts from heavy precipitation over the INCSC region.

Analysis of Short-term Heavy Precipitation in Ulanqab City from 2017 to 2022

Based on the data of hourly precipitation in 11 national stations and 262 regional stations in Ulanqab City from 2017 to 2022,the annual,monthly and daily variations of short-term heavy precipitation in Ulanqab City were statistically analyzed.The results show that the frequency of short-term heavy precipitation in Ulanqab City was high in the south and low in the north,and was closely related to the terrain.Short-term heavy precipitation in Ulanqab City was mainly concentrated from June to August,of which it was the frequentest in July.Short-term heavy precipitation mainly occurred from the afternoon to evening,and was concentrated from 13:00 to 20:00,especially at 19:00.The rainfall in Ulanqab City ranged mainly from 20 to 30 mm,accounting for 74.7%,and the rest accounted for 25.3%.

Analysis on Precipitation Efficiency of the “21.7” Henan Extremely Heavy Rainfall Event

A record-breaking heavy rainfall event that occurred in Zhengzhou,Henan province during 19–21 July 2021 is simulated using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model,and the large-scale precipitation efficiency(LSPE)and cloud-microphysical precipitation efficiency(CMPE)of the rainfall are analyzed based on the model results.Then,the key physical factors that influenced LSPE and CMPE,and the possible mechanisms for the extreme rainfall over Zhengzhou are explored.Results show that water vapor flux convergence was the key factor that influenced LSPE.Water vapor was transported by the southeasterly winds between Typhoon In-Fa(2021)and the subtropical high,and the southerly flow of Typhoon Cempaka(2021),and converged in Zhengzhou due to the blocking by the Taihang and Funiu Mountains in western Henan province.Strong moisture convergence centers were formed on the windward slope of the mountains,which led to high LSPE in Zhengzhou.From the perspective of CMPE,the net consumption of water vapor by microphysical processes was the key factor that influenced CMPE.Quantitative budget analysis suggests that water vapor was mainly converted to cloud water and ice-phase particles and then transformed to raindrops through melting of graupel and accretion of cloud water by rainwater during the heavy precipitation stage.The dry intrusion in the middle and upper levels over Zhengzhou made the high potential vorticity descend from the upper troposphere and enhanced the convective instability.Moreover,the intrusion of cold and dry air resulted in the supersaturation and condensation of water vapor,which contributed to the heavy rainfall in Zhengzhou.

SPATIO-TEMPORAL VARIATION CHARACTERISTICS OF EXTREMELY HEAVY PRECIPITATION FREQUENCY OVER SOUTH CHINA IN THE LAST 50 YEARS

This paper comprehensively studies the spatio-temporal characteristics of the frequency of extremely heavy precipitation events over South China by using the daily precipitation data of 110 stations during 1961 to 2008 and the extremely heavy precipitation thresholds determined for different stations by REOF, trend coefficients, linear trend, Mann-Kendall test and variance analysis. The results are shown as follows. The frequency distribution of extremely heavy precipitation is high in the middle of South China and low in the Guangdong coast and western Guangxi. There are three spatial distribution types of extremely heavy precipitation in South China. The consistent anomaly distribution is the main type. Distribution reversed between the east and the west and between the south and the north is also an important type. Extremely heavy precipitation events in South China mainly occurred in the summer-half of the year. Their frequency during this time accounts for 83.7% of the total frequency. In the 1960 s and 1980 s, extremely heavy precipitation events were less frequent while having an increasing trend from the late 1980 s. Their climatological tendency rates decrease in the central and rise in the other areas of South China, and on average the mean series also shows an upward but insignificant trend at all of the stations. South China's frequency of extremely heavy precipitation events can be divided into six major areas and each of them shows a different inter-annual trend and three of the representative stations experience abrupt changes by showing remarkable increases in terms of Mann-Kendall tests.

Analysis of Short-term Heavy Precipitations in a Regional Heavy Rainstorm in Shannxi Province

[Objective] This study aimed to analyze the cause of the generation of short-term heavy precipitations in a regional heavy rainstorm in Shannxi Province. [Method] Taking a heavy rainstorm covering most parts of Shaanxi Province in late July 2010 as an example, data of five Doppler weather radars in Shaanxi Province were employed for a detailed analysis of the evolution of the heavy rainstorm pro- cess. [Result] Besides the good large-scale weather background conditions, the de- velopment and evolution of some mesoscale and small-scale weather systems direct- ly led to short-term heavy precipitations during the heavy rainstorm process, involv- ing the intrusion of moderate IS-scale weak cold air and presence of small-scale wind shear, convergence and adverse wind area. In addition, small-scale convection echoes were arranged in lines and formed a ＂train effect＂, which would also con- tribute to the generation of short-term heavy precipitation. [Conclusion] This study provided basic information for more clear and in-depth analysis of the formation mechanism of short-term heavy precipitations.

Analysis of Predictability of a Large-scale Short-duration Heavy Precipitation Process in Nanchang City

Based on the observation data of automatic stations and sounding data,the circulation characteristics and physical quantities of a large-scale short-duration heavy precipitation process in Nanchang City on July 7,2020 were diagnosed and analyzed,and the ability of several numerical forecasting products to predict this process was tested.The results show that the short-duration heavy precipitation process was triggered in the process of the subtropical high changing from lifting to the north to retreating to the south under the weather background of the confrontation between the northerly flow behind the trough and the strong southwest warm and wet flow on the north side of the subtropical high.The strong southwest warm and wet flow provided abundant water vapor,and the southern pressing of the lower energy front and the invasion of the cold air near the surface layer provided unstable energy and dynamic conditions for the heavy precipitation.The changing trend of the subtropical high from lifting to the north to retreating to the south during 08:00 to 20:00 on July 7 was not predicted by numerical forecast,and there was a large deviation in the forecast of the time and intensity of the southern pressing of the northerly flow behind the trough,so the guidance of numerical forecast for heavy precipitation was not strong,which was not conducive to the prediction of the short-duration heavy precipitation.It was predicted that the subtropical high would move slightly to the south on July 6 compared with the previous day,and the forecast adjustment of the high-level weather system can be used as a sign of the forecast change,which needs to be paid certain attention in the daily forecast.

Spatial-temporal Analysis and Prediction of Precipitation Extremes: A Case Study in the Weihe River Basin, China

Extreme precipitation events bring considerable risks to the natural ecosystem and human life.Investigating the spatial-temporal characteristics of extreme precipitation and predicting it quantitatively are critical for the flood prevention and water resources planning and management.In this study,daily precipitation data(1957–2019)were collected from 24 meteorological stations in the Weihe River Basin(WRB),Northwest China and its surrounding areas.We first analyzed the spatial-temporal change of precipitation extremes in the WRB based on space-time cube(STC),and then predicted precipitation extremes using long short-term memory(LSTM)network,auto-regressive integrated moving average(ARIMA),and hybrid ensemble empirical mode decomposition(EEMD)-LSTM-ARIMA models.The precipitation extremes increased as the spatial variation from northwest to southeast of the WRB.There were two clusters for each extreme precipitation index,which were distributed in the northwestern and southeastern or northern and southern of the WRB.The precipitation extremes in the WRB present a strong clustering pattern.Spatially,the pattern of only high-high cluster and only low-low cluster were primarily located in lower reaches and upper reaches of the WRB,respectively.Hot spots(25.00%–50.00%)were more than cold spots(4.17%–25.00%)in the WRB.Cold spots were mainly concentrated in the northwestern part,while hot spots were mostly located in the eastern and southern parts.For different extreme precipitation indices,the performances of the different models were different.The accuracy ranking was EEMD-LSTM-ARIMA>LSTM>ARIMA in predicting simple daily intensity index(SDII)and consecutive wet days(CWD),while the accuracy ranking was LSTM>EEMD-LSTM-ARIMA>ARIMA in predicting very wet days(R95 P).The hybrid EEMD-LSTM-ARIMA model proposed was generally superior to single models in the prediction of precipitation extremes.

Application of Weather Radar in Quantitative Forecast of Short-term Heavy Precipitation

Based on the C-band Doppler radar data and the hourly precipitation data of heavy precipitation in Ulanqab from 2018 to 2019,the Z-I relationship of local convective precipitation and the correlation between vertically integrated liquid water(VIL)and precipitation were studied.The heavy precipitation was divided into cumulus precipitation and cumulus mixed cloud precipitation,and different types of Z-I relationship was established to compare it with the traditional and unclassified overall optimal Z-I relationship.It shows that the estimation of different types of precipitation by different Z-I relationships was obviously better than the other two.Cumulus precipitation had a certain lag correlation with VIL,and the last 4 scanning VIL values within an hour had no indicative significance for precipitation;mixed precipitation was basically synchronized with VIL;the correlation decreased with the increase of the distance from radar,the corresponding degree of VIL and precipitation in stations within 30 km was significantly higher than that of other regional stations.A continuous non-zero VIL sequence close to a certain place can be used as a forecast indicator.Once a zero value appeared in the VIL time series,even it occurred only once,the two sequences before and after the zero value should be distinguished.

Analysis of Characteristics of a Heavy Rainstorm Process in Nanchang City on July 7,2020

Based on the conventional observation data,dual polarization radar data and NCEP reanalysis data,the large-scale circulation background field,mesoscale conditions and formation causes of a heavy rainstorm in Nanchang on July 7,2020 were studied.It was found that this heavy rainstorm occurred under the weather background of the confrontation between the northward air flow behind the trough and the strong southwest warm and humid air flow to the northwest of the subtropical high.The divergence at the upper level,the shear in the middle and low levels,the southward movement of cold air at the low level,unusually abundant water vapor and high unstable energy caused the heavy rainstorm weather.In this process,under the influence of continuous eastward movement of several strong echo cells,an obvious"train effect"was formed in Nanchang,so that the local rainfall was continuous and intense.Moreover,the average of VIL was about 17 kg/m 2,and its variation characteristics were consistent with the variation trend of 5-min rainfall intensity,which had a certain indicator effect on short-term heavy precipitation.The topography of the Meiling Mountain in the west of Nanchang had a great influence on the formation and precipitation distribution of the heavy rain process.There was a strong rainstorm center near the mountain,and the precipitation was obviously larger than that in the plain area.

Cause–Effect Relationship between Meso-γ-Scale Rotation and Extreme Short-Term Precipitation:Observational Analyses at Minute and Sub-Kilometer Scales

The cause–effect relationship between meso-γ-scale rotation and extreme short-term precipitation events remains elusive in mesoscale meteorological research.We aimed to elucidate this relationship by analyzing a rainstorm over the Pearl River Delta during the nocturnal hours of 15 May 2017 based on 6-min radar observations and 1-min rain gauge data.This rainstorm had a maximum hourly rainfall of 100.1 mm,with 26 stations recording hourly rainfall>60 mm h^(−1) in 5 h.Extreme heavy precipitation was produced in association with a convergence zone along the southern side of a synoptic low-level shear line,where southwesterly warm,humid airflows with precipitable water of>60 mm,little convection inhibition(<10 J kg^(−1)),and a low lifting condensation level(about 300 m)dominated.A meso-γ-scale vortex was quantitatively identified during the hour with the largest number of gauges observing extreme hourly rainfall.The vortex had a mean diameter of 6.1 km and a peak intensity of 3.1×10^(−3) s^(−1) during its lifetime of 54 min.The vortex initialized and remained inside the region of extreme rain rates(radar-retrieved rain rates>100 mm h^(−1)),reached its peak intensity after the peak of the collocated 6-min rainfall accumulation,and then weakened rapidly after the extreme rainfall region moved away.The radar-retrieved liquid water path was about five to seven times the ice water path and the specific differential phase(Kdp)below 0°C increased sharply downward during the lifetime of the vortex,suggesting the presence of active warm rain microphysical processes.These results indicate that the release of the latent heat of condensation induced by extreme rainfall could have contributed to the formation of the vortex in an environment with a weak 0–1-km vertical wind shear(about 4–5 m s^(−1))through enhanced lowlevel convergence,although the strengthening of low-level updrafts by rotational dynamic effects and short-term rainfall cannot be ruled out.

On the Climatology of Persistent Heavy Rainfall Events in China

Persistent heavy rainfall events （PHR events） comprise one category of weather- and climate- related extreme events. Based on daily rainfall data measured in China during the period of 1951-2004, several quantitative criteria were developed to define PHR events by means of their precipitation intensity, temporal duration, spatial extent and persistence. Then a semi-objective classification based on these criteria was applied to summer daily rainfall data to identify all PHR events. A total of 197 events were observed during the study period. All events were further classified into 5 categories according to their comprehensive intensity; into 3 types according to their circulation regime; and into 8 groups according to the geographic locations of their rainbands. Based on these different classifications, finally, the behaviors of 130 PHR events identified as the most severe, severe and moderate categories since the year of 1951, including characteristics of the spatial and temporal distributions of their frequencies, intensities, and rainbands, were investigated in order to present a comprehensive description of the PHR events. The results will be helpful to the future study of revealing and understanding the processes that govern the production of the PHR events and to the improvement of the forecasts of the PHR events.

四川两次极端暴雨强降水特征及与雷达回波和闪电关系分析

选取了2020年8月四川两次历史性极端暴雨过程,根据量级和持续时间对强降水进行划分,分析其时空分布特征及与雷达回波和闪电的关系。结果表明:短时强降水主要发生在22时—次日03时,降水强度为30~<50 mm/h的站次最多,区域集中在盆地西部。随着降水量级的增加,站点对应的闪电密度均增大,小时平均回波、最强回波、最弱回波均呈增强的趋势。随着降水持续时间的增加,站点对应的负地闪平均强度增强。第一次过程强降水站次与闪电频次的高值中心具有良好的对应关系。第二次过程随着降水量级增大,对应的回波均方根误差减小,而第一次过程则相反。

渤海湾西岸一次局地极端短时强降水事件的成因分析

2021年9月4日早晨,渤海湾西岸的天津滨海新区出现短时强降水,过程累计降雨量达224.2 mm,最大小时雨强为110.9 mm·h^(-1),均打破当地建站以来的历史纪录。利用加密自动气象观测站、风廓线雷达、多普勒雷达等观测资料,结合欧洲中期天气预报中心ERA5再分析资料,分析该事件成因及其与海陆环境的关系,探讨对流系统新生、组织化机制以及水汽输送特征等。结果表明:(1)对流单体在海岸线海水一侧新生后西移登陆,经多次与后向新生对流单体合并加强,最终发展为具有中γ尺度涡旋且位于线状中尺度对流系统前端的强降水系统。(2)对流单体新生地点与两条地面辐合线的相交点对应。一条南北向的风速辐合线位于海上,与水陆表面摩擦系数差异有关;另一条东西向的风向辐合线位于陆地,由东北残余冷空气与原有偏南风相遇而成。(3)由于清晨海面湿度比陆地大,湿空气被向岸偏东气流从渤海湾带到西岸,为对流系统的发生发展提供热力条件;而850 hPa持续存在暖性切变线,为多个对流系统线状组织排列提供了动力支持;值得关注的是,浅层残余弱冷空气在925 hPa造成明显的中尺度锋生。(4)次级垂直环流促进周围水汽汇集和垂直向上输送加强,而水汽垂直递减率的大小(水汽垂直辐合)对小时雨强有指示意义。分钟雨强很可能与中γ尺度涡旋有内在联系。

Antecedent snowmelt and orographic precipitation contributions to water supply of Pakistan disastrous floods,2022

In 2022,the Pakistan witnessed the hottest spring and wettest summer in history.And devastating floods inundated a large portion of Pakistan and caused enormous damages.However,the primary water source and its contributions to these unprecedented floods remain unclear.Based on the reservoir inflow measurements,Multi-Source Weighted-Ensemble Precipitation(MSWEP),the fifth generation ECMWF atmospheric reanalysis(ERA5)products,this study quantified the contributions of monsoon precipitation,antecedent snow-melts,and orographic precipitation enhancement to floods in Pakistan.We found that the Indus experienced at least four inflow up-rushes,which was mainly supplied by precipitation and snowmelt;In upper Indus,abnormally high temperature continued to influence the whole summer and lead to large amounts of snowmelts which not only was a key water supply to the flood but also provided favorable soil moisture conditions for the latter precipitation.Before July,the snowmelt has higher contributions than the precipitation to the streamflow of Indus River,with contribution value of more than 60%.Moreover,the snowmelt could still supply 20%-40%water to the lower Indus in July and August;The leading driver of 2022 mega-floods over the southern Pakistan in July and August was dominated by the precipitation,where terrain disturbance induced precipitation account to approximately 33%over the southern Pakistan.The results help to understand the mechanisms of flood formation,and to better predict future flood risks over complex terrain regions.

川东北极端强降水预报方法对比研究

【目的】为了建立川东北最佳极端强降水概率预报方程。【方法】利用ERA时间间隔为1 h的0.25°×0.25°再分析资料,计算1990—2019年5—9月逐日4个时次的物理量,统计分析极端强降水个例物理量异常度,采用4种实验方法对比分析并建立预报方程。【结果】(1)异常度较明显因子分别为700 hPa比湿、850 hPa比湿、700 hPa水汽通量散度、850 hPa水汽通量散度、500 hPa垂直速度、700 hPa垂直速度、850 hPa垂直速度,大部分平均异常度绝对值在1.5以上,K指数和假相当位温相当,08时总体比其他时次异常度明显。(2)预报方程预报结果。样本内检验,该预报概率平均值为0.652,60%的百分位值为0.623,预报概率最大值为0.999。样本外检验,预报指数阈值为0.6时,平均准确率达到了90%,平均空报率为9.3%,平均漏报率为0.7%,其中有13站的漏报率为0%;以0.65为阈值检验,平均准确率达到了92.4%,平均空报率为6.9%,平均漏报率为0.7%,其中有13站的漏报率为0%,预报效果更佳。【结论】极端强降水概率预报方程具有较好的预报效果。

光流法雷达外推产品在突发强降水预报中的应用

地形条件复杂的山丘区中小河流洪水突发性强、汇流时间短,高准确率和长时效性降水短时临近预报产品对提高突发洪水预报精度尤为关键。以2021年9月河南省鸭河口水库出现的千年一遇特大洪水为例,利用国家气象信息中心提供的三源融合格点实况降水资料,检验基于改进光流法的雷达外推降水预报产品在本次洪水过程中0~1 h和0~3 h降水预报的TS评分和预报偏差。结果表明:(1)改进光流法在0~1 h的逐小时降水预报上较为精准,累计雨量在50 mm以下时,TS评分在0.45~0.85之间;雨量在50~70 mm之间时,TS评分在0.35~0.70之间;雨量在70 mm以上时,TS评分在0.25~0.35之间。50 mm以上雨量有较高TS评分表现出改进光流法在极端强降水预报中的优势性。(2)改进光流法在0~3 h的降水预报上,累计雨量在50 mm以下时,TS评分在0.55~0.85之间;在50 mm以上时,TS评分在0.35~0.75之间。该降水预报产品不仅对极端性降水预报效果较好,且预报时效长达3 h,可为防洪调度提供更长的决策时间。(3)改进光流法在0~3 h的降水预报产品与融合实况格点降水相比,雨量在20 mm以下的预报结果比较接近,平均绝对误差在10 mm以内;雨量在20 mm以上时,随雨量增大,平均误差、平均绝对误差、均方根误差均逐渐增大。(4)改进光流法在0~3 h的降水预报产品对影响范围小、降水强度大、维持时间长、累计雨量大的极端强降水有较好的预报表现。研究成果可为洪水预报模型提供一种较为可靠的降水输入预报。

基于CORS网数据的河南“7·20”特大暴雨期间大气水汽分布特征分析

河南“7·20”特大暴雨导致了严重的城市内涝和多起地质灾害。大气水汽是发生极端降雨的主要驱动力之一,分析“7·20”特大暴雨期间大气水汽的时空变化,有助于提高对降雨-水汽区域性作用机制的认识。利用河南CORS网中8个GNSS测站的观测数据,反演了暴雨前后(7月17—24日)时间分辨率为5 min的PWV数据,在此基础上与基于ERA-5再分析数据通过积分求得的PWV值进行了对比,并结合实际降雨量分析了暴雨期间水汽的时空分布特征。结果表明:GNSS-PWV的偏差和均方根误差分别为0.4、2.3 mm;暴雨前3 d内PWV值呈现快速上升趋势,并在暴雨前3 h达到最大值,在7月22日后逐渐减少到正常范围;GNSS-PWV的变化趋势与实际降雨过程基本符合。研究结果可为基于GNSS观测数据的实时全天候气象预警工作提供一定的理论基础。

吉林省东部山区极端短时强降水特征分析

文章根据吉林省地形地貌特征,选取东部山区20个国家地面气象观测站1975-2023年逐小时降水实况资料,利用百分位数方法建立各个国家站极端短时强降水的阈值,在此基础上分析东部山区极端短时强降水时空分布特征。结果表明:吉林省东部山区极端短时强降水阈值分布在20~33 mm,强度分布与阈值分布基本一致,频次分布与阈值分布呈负相关;极端短时强降水呈增多趋势,6月下旬至8月中旬频次最高;每日14:00-19:00极端短时强降水频次最高;极端短时强降水频次呈现准30~42年、18~24年的周期性波动。研究结果旨在为吉林省东部山区极端短时强降水的预报预警提供技术支撑。

北京市昌平区韩台村“23·7”暴雨山洪泥石流灾害特征分析

【目的】近年来,受极端降雨事件影响,北京西部和北部山区山洪泥石流灾害频发,给当地造成巨大的生命财产损失。针对北京市昌平区韩台村“23·7”暴雨山洪泥石流灾害事件开展灾害过程和特征研究,为小流域灾害防治及提升灾害应对能力供基础支撑和参考依据。【方法】以昌平区高崖口沟韩台村支沟为研究区,采用“区域灾情调查-重灾区现场调研-室内评估分析”相结合的方式,查明研究区的雨水情特征及灾情特征。基于堆积物沉积结构、实物破坏形式和流体的内在特性,分析了韩台村支沟内山洪泥石流的灾害过程和基本特征,初步探讨了此次灾害的成因,并提出灾害防范对策建议。【结果】结果表明:(1)韩台村上游沟道集雨面积约0.1 km^(2),根据王家园水库自动站2023年8月31日12时至13时降雨数据,估算的韩台村上游沟道内1小时洪水总量约6870 m^(3),其破坏力非常大。(2)韩台村支沟自沟顶至韩台村西部村南口,具有典型的泥石流特征。村南口进村120 m范围内有泥石流堆积物,覆盖于山洪沉积物之上,属于典型的泥石流堆积前缘特征。由此至韩台村北口(韩台村支沟沟口),具有明显的山洪灾害特征,平均洪水深度超过5 m,淹没面积约33940 m^(2)。(3)2305号台风“杜苏芮”外围残余环流北上引发的极端强降雨是此次灾害的直接致灾因子,同时,受区域地形地貌、山洪泥石流作用及居民对所处地质环境的认知程度等因素的影响。【结论】此次昌平区高崖口沟韩台村支沟特大暴雨洪涝灾害是一次极端暴雨引发的山洪泥石流复合灾害事件。短时强降雨导致地表径流流量陡增是造成此次灾害的直接原因,初步推测泥石流发生时间晚于山洪,亦或是形成于山洪减弱阶段。自支沟顶至韩台村西部村南口(约1.4 km)为泥石流区域,村南口进村120 m左右为泥石流堆积前缘区域,同时部分区域具有山洪特征,村南口至村北口(支沟口)为山洪受灾区域。

Recognition of Organizational Morphology of Mesoscale Convective Systems Using Himawari-8 Observations

The onset,evolution,and propagation processes of convective cells can be reflected by the organizational morphology of mesoscale convective systems(MCSs),which are key factors in determining the potential for heavy precipitation.This paper proposed a method for objectively classifying and segmenting MCSs using geosynchronous satellite observations.Validation of the product relative to the classification in radar composite reflectivity imagery indicates that the algorithm offers skill for discriminating between convective and stratiform areas and matched 65%of convective area identifications in radar imagery with a false alarm rate of 39%and an accuracy of 94%.A quantitative evaluation of the similarity between the structures of 50 MCSs randomly obtained from satellite and radar observations shows that the similarity was as high as 60%.For further testing,the organizational modes of the MCS that caused the heavy precipitation in Northwest China on August 21,2016(hereinafter known as the“0821”rainstorm)were identified.It was found that the MCS,accompanied by the“0821”rainstorm,successively exhibited modes of the isolated cell,squall line with parallel stratiform(PS)rain,and non-linear system during its life cycle.Among them,the PS mode might have played a key role in causing this flooding.These findings are in line with previous studies.