Climatological Characteristics of Cyclone Activity in Summer in East Asia and Its Effects on Rainfall in China

The spatial and temporal variation of cyclone activity in summer in East Asia have been studied,as well as the relationship between cyclone activity frequency,atmospheric circulation background field at 500 hPa and rainfall in China.The results showed that cyclone activity in summer was mainly distributed in three regions,and cyclone activity frequency in the north of 25° N before the middle of 1970s was continuously higher than that after the middle of 1970s.The decadal variation of cyclone activity frequency was closely related to the anomaly of atmospheric circulation at 500 hPa.There was obvious negative anomaly in middle and high latitudes of East Asia before the middle of 1970s,prevailing meridional circulation,with the increase of cyclone activity.However,the atmospheric circulation situation was reverse after the middle of 1970s.Summer rainfall in Shandong Peninsula had significant decadal variability,experiencing wet and dry season,and wet(or dry) season was fit to the period of higher(or lower) cyclone activity frequency in the north of 25° N.

POTENTIAL VORTICITY STRUCTURE OF SUMMER CYCLONES OVER THE CHANGJIANG-HUAIHE VALLEY

Based on the theory of Ertel potential vorticity,the isentropic potential vorticity maps and vertical pro- files of potential vorticity for two summer cyclones over the Changjiang-Huaihe Valley are analysed.After discussing a possible mechanism for the genesis and development of such systems and their differences from typical extratropical cyclones,a conceptual model for their activities is proposed:A weak disturbance in the mid- level of troposphere originated from around the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau may cause heavy precipitation under favourable conditions and latent heat release in the mid-troposphere leads to downward extension of cyclonic circulation and a wave on the quasi-stationary front.This weak cyclone can develop substantially and become a typical extratropical cyclone only when air from the lower stratosphere flows downslope along isentropic sur- faces into the region of interest.

On the Weakened Relationship between Spring Arctic Oscillation and Following Summer Tropical Cyclone Frequency over the Western North Pacific:A Comparison between 1968–1986 and 1989–2007

This study documents a weakening of the relationship between the spring Arctic Oscillation （AO） and the following summer tropical cyclone （TC） formation frequency over the eastern part （150°-180°E） of the western North Pacific （WNP）. The relationship is strong and statistically significant during 1968-1986, but becomes weak during 1989-2007. The spring AO- related SST, atmospheric dynamic, and thermodynamic conditions are compared between the two epochs to understand the possible reasons for the change in the relationship. Results indicate that the spring AO leads to an E1 Nifio-like SST anomaly, lower-level anomalous cyclonic circulation, upper-level anomalous anticyclonic circulation, enhanced ascending motion, and a positive midlevel relative humidity anomaly in the tropical western-central Pacific during 1968-1986, whereas the AOrelated anomalies in the above quantities are weak during 1989-2007. Hence, the large-scale dynamic and thermodynamic anomalies are more favorable for TC formation over the eastern WNP during 1968-1986 than during 1989-2007.

Unstable relationship between spring NAO and summer tropical cyclone genesis frequency over the western North Pacific

The present study reveals the fact that the relationship between the spring(April–May)North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO)and the following summer(June–September)tropical cyclone(TC)genesis frequency over the western North Pacific(WNP)during the period of 1950–2018 was not stationary.It is shown that the relationship between the two has experienced a pronounced interdecadal shift,being weak and insignificant before yet strong and statistically significant after the early 1980 s.Next we compare the spring NAO associated dynamic and thermodynamic conditions,sea surface temperature(SST)anomalies,and atmospheric circulation processes between the two subperiods of 1954–1976 and 1996–2018,so as to illucidate the possible mechanism for this interdecadal variation in the NAO-TC connection.During the latter epoch,when the spring NAO was positive,enhanced low-level vorticity,reduced vertical zonal wind shear,intensified vertical velocity and increased middle-level relative humidity were present over the WNP in the summer,which is conducive to the genesis of WNP TCs.When the spring NAO is negative,the dynamic and thermodynamic factors are disadvantageous for the summertime TC formation and development over the WNP.The results of further analysis indicate that the persistence of North Atlantic tri-pole SST anomalies from spring to the subsequent summer induced by the spring NAO plays a fundamental role in the linkage between the spring NAO and summer atmospheric circulation.During the period of 1996–2018,a remarkable eastward propagating wave-train occurred across the northern Eurasian continent,forced by the anomalous SST tri-pole in the North Atlantic.The East Asian jet flow became greatly intensified,and the deep convection in the tropics was further enhanced via the changes of the local Hadley circulation,corresponding to a positive spring NAO.During the former epoch,the spring NAO-induced tri-pole SST anomalies in the North Atlantic were non-existent,and the related atmospheric circulation anomalies were extremely weak,thereby leading to the linkage between spring NAO and WNP TC genesis frequency in the following summer being insignificant.