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.

Main Energy Paths and Energy Cascade Processes of the Two Types of Persistent Heavy Rainfall Events over the Yangtze River–Huaihe River Basin

Two types of persistent heavy rainfall events （PHREs） over the Yangtze River-Huaihe River Basin were determined in a recent statistical study： type A, whose precipitation is mainly located to the south of the Yangtze River; and type B, whose precipitation is mainly located to the north of the river. The present study investigated these two PHRE types using a newly derived set of energy equations to show the scale interaction and main energy paths contributing to the persistence of the precipitation. The main results were as follows. The available potential energy （APE） and kinetic energy （KE） associated with both PHRE types generally increased upward in the troposphere, with the energy of the type-A PHREs stronger than that of the type-B PHREs （except for in the middle troposphere）. There were two main common and universal energy paths of the two PHRE types： （1） the baroclinic energy conversion from APE to KE was the dominant energy source for the evolution of large-scale background circulations; and （2） the downscaled energy cascade processes of KE and APE were vital for sustaining the eddy flow, which directly caused the PHREs. The significant differences between the two PHRE types mainly appeared in the lower troposphere, where the baroclinic energy conversion associated with the eddy flow in type-A PHREs was from KE to APE, which reduced the intensity of the precipitation-related eddy flow; whereas, the conversion in type-B PHREs was from APE to KE, which enhanced the eddy flow.

Correlation Analysis of Persistent Heavy Rainfall Events in the Vicinity of the Yangtze River Valley and Global Outgoing Longwave Radiation in the Preceding Month

Based on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration （NOAA） daily satellite dataset of global outgoing longwave radiation （OLR） for the period of 1974-2004 and the NCEP-NCAR reanalysis for 1971- 2004, the linkage between persistent heavy rainfall （PHR） events in the vicinity of the Yangtze River valley and global OLR leading up to those events （with 1- to 3O-day lag） was investigated. The results reveal that there is a significant connection between the initiation of PHR events over the study area and anomalous convective activity over the tropical Indian Ocean, maritime continent, and tropical western Pacific Ocean. During the 30-day period prior to the onset of PHR events, the major significantly anomalous convective centers have an apparent dipole structure, always with enhanced convection in the west and suppressed convection in the east. This dipole structure continuously shifts eastward with time during the 30-day lead period. The influence of the anomalous convective activity over the tropical oceans on the initiation of PHR events over the study area is achieved via an interaction between tropical and extratropical latitudes. More specifically, anomalous convective activity weakens the Walker circulation cell over the tropical Indian Ocean first. This is followed by a weakening of the Indian summer monsoon background state and the excitation and dispersion of Rossby wave activity over Eurasia. Finally, a major modulation of the large scale background circulation occurs. As a result, the condition of a phase-lock among major large scale circulation features favoring PHR events is established over the study area.

Typical Circulation Patterns and Associated Mechanisms for Persistent Heavy Rainfall Events over Yangtze–Huaihe River Valley during 1981–2020

Persistent heavy rainfall events(PHREs)over the Yangtze–Huaihe River Valley(YHRV)during 1981–2020 are classified into three types(type-A,type-B and type-C)according to pattern correlation.The characteristics of the synoptic systems for the PHREs and their possible development mechanisms are investigated.The anomalous cyclonic disturbance over the southern part of the YHRV during type-A events is primarily maintained and intensified by the propagation of Rossby wave energy originating from the northeast Atlantic in the mid–upper troposphere and the northward propagation of Rossby wave packets from the western Pacific in the mid–lower troposphere.The zonal propagation of Rossby wave packets and the northward propagation of Rossby wave packets during type-B events are more coherent than those for type-A events,which induces eastward propagation of stronger anomaly centers of geopotential height from the northeast Atlantic Ocean to the YHRV and a meridional anomaly in geopotential height over the Asian continent.Type-C events have“two ridges and one trough”in the high latitudes of the Eurasian continent,but the anomalous intensity of the western Pacific subtropical high(WPSH)and the trough of the YHRV region are weaker than those for type-A and type-B events.The composite synoptic circulation of four PHREs in 2020 is basically consistent with that of the corresponding PHRE type.The location of the South Asian high(SAH)in three of the PHREs in 2020 moves eastward as in the composite of the three types,but the position of the WPSH of the four PHREs is clearly westward and northward.Two water vapor conveyor belts and two cold air conveyor belts are tracked during the four PHREs in 2020,but the water vapor path from the western Pacific is not seen,which may be caused by the westward extension of the WPSH.

Comparison of two types of persistent heavy rainfall events during sixteen warm seasons in the Sichuan Basin

Based on hourly precipitation from national surface stations,persistent heavy rainfall events(PHREs)over the Sichuan Basin(SCB)are explored during the warm season(May to September)from 2000 to 2015 to compare synoptic circulations and maintenance mechanisms between different PHRE types.There are two main types of PHREs:one is characterized by a rain belt west of 106°E over the SCB(WSB-PHREs),and the other features a rain belt east of 106°E over the SCB(ESB-PHREs).In total,there are 18 ESB-PHREs and 10 WSB-PHREs during the study period.Overall,the rain belts of WSB-PHREs are along the terrain distribution east of the Tibetan Plateau,while the precipitation intensity of ESB-PHREs is stronger.For the two types of PHREs,the shortwave trough over the SCB and the western Pacific subtropical high act as their favorable background environments,particularly for ESB-PHREs.The water vapor of WSB-PHREs is mainly transported from the South China Sea,whereas for ESB-PHREs the South China Sea and Bay of Bengal are their main moisture sources.The composite vorticity budgets of southwest vortices during their mature stage indicate that the convergence effect is a dominant factor for maintaining the two types of PHREs,and the strong vertical vorticity advection is also favorable,but the relative contribution of vertical advection is larger for WSB-PHREs.

Pre-summer Persistent Heavy Rain over Southern China and Its Relationship with Intra-seasonal Oscillation of Tropical Atmosphere

Based on daily precipitation data supplied by the Chinese meteorological administration,hourly reanalysis datasets provided by the ECMWF and daily outgoing long wave radiation supplied by the NOAA,the evolution regularity of continuous heavy precipitation over Southern China(SC)from April to June in 1979-2020 was systematically analyzed.The interaction between specific humidity and circulation field at the background-scale,the intra-seasonal-scale and the synoptic-scale,and its influence on persistent heavy precipitation over the SC during the April-June rainy season were quantitatively diagnosed and analyzed.The results are as follows.Persistent heavy rainfall events(PHREs)over the SC during the April-June rainy season occur frequently from mid-May to mid-and late-June,exhibiting significant intra-seasonal oscillation(10-30-day)features.Vertically integrated moisture flux convergence(VIMFC)can well represent the variation of the PHREs.A multiscale quantitative diagnosis of the VIMFC shows that the pre-summer PHREs over the SC are mainly affected by the background water vapor(greater than 30 days),intraseasonal circulation disturbance(10-30-day)and background circulation(greater than 30 days),and water vapor convergences are the main factor.The SC is under the control of a warm and humid background and a strong intraseasonal cyclonic circulation,with strong convergence and ascending movements and abundant water vapor conditions during the period of the PHREs.Meanwhile,the westward inter-seasonal oscillation of tropical atmosphere keeps the precipitation system over the SC for several consecutive days,eventually leading to the occurrence,development and persistence of heavy precipitation.

Classification of Persistent Heavy Rainfall Events over South China and Associated Moisture Source Analysis

Persistent heavy rainfall events （PHREs） over South China during 1981 2014 were selected and classified by an objective method, based on the daily precipitation data at 752 stations in China. The circulation characteristics, as well as the dry-cold air and moisture sources of each type of PHREs were examined. The main results are as follows. A total of 32 non-typhoon influenced PHREs in South China were identified over the study period. By correlation analysis, the PHREs are divided into three types： SC-A type, with its main rainbelt located in the coastal areas and the northeast of Guangdong Province; SC-B type, with its main rainbelt between Guangdong Province and Guangxi Region; and SC-C type, with its main rainbelt located in the north of Guangxi Region. For the SC-A events, dry-cold air flew to South China under the steering effect of troughs in the middle troposphere which originated from the Ural Mountains and West Siberia Plain; whereas, the SC-C events were not influenced by the cold air from high latitudes. There were three water vapor pathways from low-latitude areas for both the SC-A and SC-C PHREs. The tropical Indian Ocean was the main water vapor source for these two PHRE types, while the South China Sea also contributed to the SC-C PHREs. In addition, the SC-A events were also influenced by moist and cold air originating from the Yellow Sea. Generally, the SC-C PHREs belonged to a warm-sector rainfall type, whose precipitation areas were dominated by southwesterly wind, and the convergence in wind speed was the main reason for precipitation.

The Multiscale Factors Favorable for a Persistent Heavy Rain Event over Hainan Island in October 2010

A case study is presented of the multiscale characteristics that produced the record-breaking persistent heavy rainfall event（PHRE） over Hainan Island,northern South China Sea（SCS）,in autumn 2010.The study documents several key weather systems,from planetary scale to mesoscale,that contributed to the extreme rainfall during this event.The main findings of this study are as follows.First,the convectively active phase of the MJO was favorable for the establishment of a cyclonic circulation and the northward expansion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone（ITCZ）.The active disturbances in the northward ITCZ helped direct abundant moisture from adjacent oceans towards Hainan Island continuously throughout the event,where it interacted with cold air from the midlatitudes and caused heavy rain.Second,the 8-daylong PHRE can be divided into three processes according to different synoptic systems：peripheral cloud clusters of a tropical depression-type disturbance over the central SCS in process 1;interactions between the abnormally far north ITCZ and the invading cold air in process 2;and the newly formed tropical depression near Hainan Island in process 3.In the relatively stable synoptic background of each process,meso-α and meso-β-scale cloud clusters repeatedly traveled along the same path to Hainan Island.Finally,based on these analyses,a conceptual model is proposed for this type of PHRE in autumn over the northern SCS,which demonstrates the influences of multiscale systems.

江淮区域持续性暴雨过程的水汽源地和输送特征

采用HYSPLIT模式和NCEP/NCAR再分析资料,对中国江淮流域持续性暴雨过程(PHREs)的江南型和江北型过程的水汽源地、输送路径以及干空气路径进行分析。主要结果如下:江南型PHREs的干空气主要通过2条路径进入江淮地区,即源自地中海—欧洲平原的西北路径和来自蒙古高原的东北路径,而江北型PHREs干空气主要有1条路径,即西北路径。干空气是通过对流层中高层的槽脊活动和急流输送至江淮区域。江南型水汽主要由源自印度半岛以南的热带印度洋的西南路径和来自印度尼西亚与中国南海的偏南路径这2条路径输送到江淮流域。江北型的水汽路径有3条,前2条路径与江南型类似,且为主要水汽来源,还有来自西太平洋的东南路径水汽输送。江淮流域的持续性降雨过程中,来自南方的水汽输送主要受索马里越赤道急流、孟加拉湾南部和印度尼西亚群岛附近越赤道气流,以及受西太平洋副热带高压这些系统的影响。

江淮流域持续性强降水过程的多尺度物理模型

本文对江淮流域持续性暴雨事件(PHREs)的多尺度物理模型和能量转换特征以及青藏高原东部对流系统东移影响下游地区降水的研究成果进行了总结。从欧亚大陆Rossby波列能量频散的角度揭示了江淮流域PHREs中纬度系统槽脊稳定的机制,定量分析了冷暖空气的源地和输送路径,提出了江南型和江北型PHREs的多尺度物理模型。从天气尺度和次天气尺度之间的能量转换角度呈现了不同尺度系统相互作用的物理图像,指出背景场的能量供给是直接触发暴雨的次天气尺度系统维持的最重要因子,尤其是在对流层的低层,动能的降尺度级串(即能量由背景场传递给次天气尺度系统)最强。研究表明青藏高原东部对流系统东移影响江淮流域的降水是一系列天气系统配合和活跃的结果,主要由青藏高原和四川盆地、二级地形和东部平原之间的热力环流、西南涡、二级地形以东中尺度涡旋和对流系统的共同影响。除了本文总结的内容,还有一些影响PHREs的因子值得深入研究,多尺度相互作用中的Rossby波源及其波列如何影响天气系统,中尺度系统对其背景场的能量反馈等。

体现大尺度特征的区域持续性强降水过程定义指标

利用1961—2017年共57年中国地面观测站日降水资料,采用滑动平均、百分位和点面相关分析等方法,根据延伸期预报特点以及监测预报和研究需求,着眼于体现强降水过程的区域性、持续性和致灾性,并兼顾区域气候特征和普适性,建立区域持续性强降水过程定义指标。根据该指标查找判断我国东部四个关键区域(华南、长江、黄淮、华北)的历史降水过程,1961—2017年期间共有557次区域持续性强降水过程,平均每年约10次,其中华南、长江、黄淮、华北分别有267、155、78、49次,平均每年各有4.7次、2.7次、1.4次和0.9次,呈由南向北递减的分布。统计评估结果表明,该指标能客观地判断出持续影响同一区域的相对稳定类型的大尺度持续性强降水过程,适用于延伸期业务服务和研究。

江淮流域持续性暴雨过程的中期信号初析

江淮流域持续性暴雨过程是造成大范围洪涝的高影响天气事件,了解导致此类事件的全球和区域影响,对改进其预报是十分必要的.针对1951～2004年间16个典型个例,利用NCEP再分析资料,对事件发生前1～30d的全球环流场进行了相关与合成分析相结合的天气学统计普查,揭示了与此类过程显著相关的前期环流信号的时空分布特征,并初步探讨了主要信号对过程形成可能的影响和联系:过程前3～4k,赤道太平洋对流层中高层的暖性高压增强,并通过遥相关影响后期西太平洋副热带高压加强西伸及白令海附近低压的形成和加深;同期,南美洲南部南极附近的冷槽加深,其后能量频散至马达加斯加岛附近,有利于前2～3k南印度洋副热带地区以及西南太平洋西风带地区显著Rossby波列的出现,相应在马达加斯加岛南侧、澳大利亚西侧及新西兰东侧洋面上分别出现显著的低槽加深,经向环流增强;马达加斯加岛附近的纬向风异常通过经向遥相关对应北半球欧洲地区所出现的多个正负相间的纬向风异常,导致欧洲中纬度环流经向度加大,从而触发欧亚Rossby波列的形成和东传,该波列中三个稳定的波槽分别位于伊朗高原、我国东部洋面和太平洋中部洋面,并使青藏高压加强北挺;最后随着波列消失,我国东部洋面低槽减弱北缩,副热带高压趋于加强西伸,促使事件的背景环流条件最终形成.

基于T639集合预报的持续性强降水中期客观预报技术研究

针对持续性强降水预报困难的问题,根据Anderson-Darling检验原理,构建基于中国气象局T639集合预报系统的持续性强降水中期客观预报方法。对比分析2010—2015年5—9月T639集合预报降水与实况降水的累积概率分布函数差异,在此基础上采用扩展时间序列和空间范围的方法构建3种模式气候累积概率方案,通过批量预报试验和检验,选取最优概率方案纳入预报模型,考察持续性强降水个例的最长预报时间。结果表明,随着预报时效的延长,集合预报模式的降水逐渐集中于小和中雨量级,无降水和暴雨以上量级的降水概率低于观测,168h以后模式降水概率趋于稳定。通过扩展时间序列和空间范围能弥补模式气候资料年限不足所带来的偏差,根据区域气候特征细分模式气候的方法重点突出了不同区域的降水特征,明显优于简单集合所有区域数据的模式气候方案。基于集合预报的持续性强降水预报模型对持续性强降水个例的预报能力为8—9d,随着预报时效的延长,降水强度以及雨带位置的预报能力逐渐减弱。

江淮流域持续性暴雨过程前期的欧亚波列特征及其模拟研究

利用50余年的NCAR/NCEP再分析资料,对江淮流域持续性暴雨过程前期的环流特征进行了相关与合成分析。发现在过程前2—1周的对流层中高层西风带上,中西亚、中国东部沿海和白令海南侧相继有低压槽发展,呈现显著的罗斯贝波列信号特征。分析表明,正是该欧亚波列的东传和消失伴随的环流调整,导致了有利于持续性暴雨产生的稳定环流的形成。进一步采用区域数值模式检验了该波列特征对后期持续性暴雨的作用和影响过程,以1991年一次典型的江淮流域持续性暴雨过程为例,根据欧亚波列信号特征设计一组初始流场扰动,进行初值集合模拟试验。结果表明,过程强雨带及其环流背景的模拟对于初始场上欧亚波列信号区的扰动特征是相当敏感的,该初始扰动对模拟环流的后继影响,与持续性暴雨期间稳定环流特征的建立和维持确有密切关系。

江南地区持续性暴雨过程的月内环流异常和形成机制分析

利用1951—2009年NCAR/NCEP再分析资料,使用多种统计分析方法识别出对江南地区持续性暴雨过程发生、发展有重要影响的月内环流异常特征,并结合天气分析方法对其影响机制进行初步分析。结果表明,过程发生前3—1周,环流异常特征在中纬度的欧亚地区、北太平洋和南半球印度洋集中分布,其中欧亚和南半球环流异常特征反映的是沿高空急流东传的Rossby波列。正是上述环流异常特征传播和生消所对应的环流异常调整,使得副热带高压(副高)、阻塞高压、梅雨槽等关键环流系统分阶段逐步发展到位,形成有利于过程发生的大尺度环流背景"锁相"特征。

深度学习研究现状及在延伸期预报上的潜在应用初探

分别从深度学习技术和延伸期预报业务应用两个方向展开,一方面简要说明时间序列数据处理和局部特征提取采用的主要深度学习模型,以及为克服单模型局限而发展的集合学习采用的主要策略,同时介绍了深度学习在信号搜索和气象预测中的最新成果;另一方面搜集延伸期动力模式的预报水平和国内在延伸期预报业务中采用的主要技术路线;最后讨论了深度学习技术在延伸期预报上的潜在应用方向,以期为国内延伸期预报业务的发展提供一个有益的思路。

浙西南地区一次连续大到暴雨天气过程分析

2010年6月17—21日浙江西南部地区出现了连续大到暴雨过程,造成明显的灾情。对此次过程进行研究分析,发现此次过程有以下特征:副高稳定维持,处副高边缘,有低涡东移南下;低层切变线和低空急流的南北摆动,对降水落区有重要影响;大气层结处于不稳定状态和充足的水汽条件利于强降水发生。