On the Influences of Urbanization on the Extreme Rainfall over Zhengzhou on 20 July 2021: A Convection-Permitting Ensemble Modeling Study

This study investigates the influences of urban land cover on the extreme rainfall event over the Zhengzhou city in central China on 20 July 2021 using the Weather Research and Forecasting model at a convection-permitting scale[1-km resolution in the innermost domain(d3)].Two ensembles of simulation(CTRL,NURB),each consisting of 11 members with a multi-layer urban canopy model and various combinations of physics schemes,were conducted using different land cover scenarios:(i)the real urban land cover,(ii)all cities in d3 being replaced with natural land cover.The results suggest that CTRL reasonably reproduces the spatiotemporal evolution of rainstorms and the 24-h rainfall accumulation over the key region,although the maximum hourly rainfall is underestimated and displaced to the west or southwest by most members.The ensemble mean 24-h rainfall accumulation over the key region of heavy rainfall is reduced by 13%,and the maximum hourly rainfall simulated by each member is reduced by 15–70 mm in CTRL relative to NURB.The reduction in the simulated rainfall by urbanization is closely associated with numerous cities/towns to the south,southeast,and east of Zhengzhou.Their heating effects jointly lead to formation of anomalous upward motions in and above the planetary boundary layer(PBL),which exaggerates the PBL drying effect due to reduced evapotranspiration and also enhances the wind stilling effect due to increased surface friction in urban areas.As a result,the lateral inflows of moisture and high-θe(equivalent potential temperature)air from south and east to Zhengzhou are reduced.

The Roles of Low-level Jets in “21·7” Henan Extremely Persistent Heavy Rainfall Event

An extremely heavy rainfall event lasting from 17 to 22 July 2021 occurred in Henan Province of China, with accumulated precipitation of more than 1000 mm over a 6-day period that exceeded its mean annual precipitation. The present study examines the roles of persistent low-level jets(LLJs) in maintaining the precipitation using surface station observations and reanalysis datasets. The LLJs triggered strong ascending motions and carried moisture mainly from the outflow of Typhoon In-fa(2021). The varying directions of the LLJs well corresponded to the meridional shifts of the rainfall. The precipitation rate reached a maximum during 20-21 July as the LLJs strengthened and expanded vertically into double LLJs, including synoptic-weather-system-related LLJs(SLLJs) at 850–700 hPa and boundary-layer jets(BLJs)at ~950 hPa. The coupling of the SLLJ and BLJ provided strong mid-and low-level convergence on 20 July, whereas the SLLJ produced mid-level divergence at its entrance that coupled with low-level convergence at the terminus of the BLJ on21 July. The formation mechanisms of the two types of LLJs are further examined. The SLLJs and the low-pressure vortex(or inverted trough) varied synchronously as a whole and were affected by the southwestward movement of the WPSH in the rainiest period. The persistent large total pressure gradient force at low levels also maintained the strength of low-level geostrophic winds, thus sustaining the BLJs on the synoptic scale. The results based on a Du-Rotunno 1D model show that the Blackadar and Holton mechanisms jointly governed the BLJ dynamics on the diurnal scale.

Assimilation of the FY-4A AGRI Clear-Sky Radiance Data in a Regional Numerical Model and Its Impact on the Forecast of the“21·7”Henan Extremely Persistent Heavy Rainfall

Assimilation of the Advanced Geostationary Radiance Imager(AGRI)clear-sky radiance in a regional model is performed.The forecasting effectiveness of the assimilation of two water vapor(WV)channels with conventional observations for the“21·7”Henan extremely heavy rainfall is analyzed and compared with a baseline test that assimilates only conventional observations in this study.The results show that the 24-h cumulative precipitation forecast by the assimilation experiment with the addition of the AGRI exceeds 500 mm,compared to a maximum value of 532.6 mm measured by the national meteorological stations,and that the location of the maximum precipitation is consistent with the observations.The results for the short periods of intense precipitation processes are that the simulation of the location and intensity of the 3-h cumulative precipitation is also relatively accurate.The analysis increment shows that the main difference between the two sets of assimilation experiments is over the ocean due to the additional ocean observations provided by FY-4A,which compensates for the lack of ocean observations.The assimilation of satellite data adjusts the vertical and horizontal wind fields over the ocean by adjusting the atmospheric temperature and humidity,which ultimately results in a narrower and stronger WV transport path to the center of heavy precipitation in Zhengzhou in the lower troposphere.Conversely,the WV convergence and upward motion in the control experiment are more dispersed;therefore,the precipitation centers are also correspondingly more dispersed.

Microphysical Characteristics of Extreme-Rainfall Convection over the Pearl River Delta Region, South China from Polarimetric Radar Data during the Pre-summer Rainy Season

During the pre-summer rainy season,heavy rainfall occurs frequently in South China.Based on polarimetric radar observations,the microphysical characteristics and processes of convective features associated with extreme rainfall rates(ERCFs)are examined.In the regions with high ERCF occurrence frequency,sub-regional differences are found in the lightning flash rate(LFR)distributions.In the region with higher LFRs,the ERCFs have larger volumes of high reflectivity factor above the freezing level,corresponding to more active riming processes.In addition,these ERCFs are more organized and display larger spatial coverage,which may be related to the stronger low-level wind shear and higher terrain in the region.In the region with lower LFRs,the ERCFs have lower echo tops and lower-echo centroids.However,no clear differences of the most unstable convective available potential energy(MUCAPE)exist in the ERCFs in the regions with different LFR characteristics.Regardless of the LFRs,raindrop collisional coalescence is the main process for the growth of raindrops in the ERCFs.In the ERCFs within the region with lower LFRs,the main mechanism for the rapid increase of liquid water content with decreasing altitude below 4 km is through the warm-rain processes converting cloud drops to raindrops.However,in those with higher LFRs,the liquid water content generally decreases with decreasing altitude.

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.

Long-Term Trends in Pre-Summer Daytime and Nocturnal Extreme Hourly Rainfall in a Coastal City of South China

The long-term trends in the occurrence frequency of pre-summer daytime and nocturnal extreme hourly rainfall(EXHR) during 1988-2018 in Hong Kong and their spatial distributions are examined and analyzed. Despite a significant increasing trend observed in the occurrence frequency of pre-summer EXHRs during the investigated period,the increase in daytime and nocturnal EXHRs show distinct spatial patterns. Nocturnal EXHRs show uniform increasing trends over the entire Hong Kong. However, the increase in daytime EXHRs is concentrated over the northern or eastern areas of Hong Kong, indicating a downstream shift of pre-summer EXHRs in Hong Kong with regard to the prevailing southwesterly monsoonal flows in south China. The clustering of weather types associated with daytime and nocturnal EXHRs further reveals that the increase in EXHRs over Hong Kong are mainly contributed by the increase of the events associated with southwesterly monsoonal flows with relatively high speeds. During the past few decades, the southwesterly monsoonal flows at coastal south China have undergone a substantial weakening due to the increased surface roughness induced by the urbanization over the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area since 1990s,leading to enhanced low-level convergence and thus significant increase in EXHRs at coastal south China. Meanwhile,daytime sea-wind circulation at coastal south China is markedly enhanced during the investigated period, which is the main reason for the northward shift of daytime EXHRs in Hong Kong. In addition, the blocked southwesterly monsoonal flows at coastal south China are detoured eastward, leading to stronger convergence and increase in EXHRs at eastern coast of Hong Kong, especially during daytime, when the easterly sea winds prevail at the region.

Characteristics and Preliminary Causes of Tropical Cyclone Extreme Rainfall Events over Hainan Island

The characteristics of tropical cyclone（TC） extreme rainfall events over Hainan Island from 1969 to 2014 are analyzed from the viewpoint of the TC maximum daily rainfall（TMDR） using daily station precipitation data from the Meteorological Information Center of the China Meteorological Administration, TC best-track data from the Shanghai Typhoon Institute,and NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data. The frequencies of the TMDR reaching 50, 100 and 250 mm show a decreasing trend[-0.7（10 yr）^（-1）], a weak decreasing trend [-0.2（10 yr）^（-1）] and a weak increasing trend [0.1（10 yr）^（-1）], respectively. For seasonal variations, the TMDR of all intensity grades mainly occurs from July to October, with the frequencies of TMDR 50 mm and 100 mm peaking in September and the frequency of TMDR 250 mm [TC extreme rainstorm（TCER） events]peaking in August and September. The western region（Changjiang） of the Island is always the rainfall center, independent of the intensity or frequencies of different intensity grades. The causes of TCERs are also explored and the results show that topography plays a key role in the characteristics of the rainfall events. TCERs are easily induced on the windward slopes of Wuzhi Mountain, with the coordination of TC tracks and TC wind structure. A slower speed of movement, a stronger TC intensity and a farther westward track are all conducive to extreme rainfall events. A weaker northwestern Pacific subtropical high is likely to make the 500-h Pa steering flow weaker and results in slower TC movement, whereas a stronger South China Sea summer monsoon can carry a higher moisture flux. These two environmental factors are both favorable for TCERs.

PV Perspective of Impacts on Downstream Extreme Rainfall Event of a Tibetan Plateau Vortex Collaborating with a Southwest China Vortex

An extreme rainfall event occurred over the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze Basin(MLY)during the end of June 2016,which was attributable to a Tibetan Plateau(TP)Vortex(TPV)in conjunction with a Southwest China Vortex(SWCV).The physical mechanism for this event was investigated from Potential Vorticity(PV)and omega perspectives based on MERRA-2 reanalysis data.The cyclogenesis of the TPV over the northwestern TP along with the lower-tropospheric SWCV was found to involve a midtropospheric large-scale flow reconfiguration across western and eastern China with the formation of a high-amplitude Rossby wave.Subsequently,the eastward-moving TPV coalesced vertically with the SWCV over the eastern Sichuan Basin due to the positive vertical gradient of the TPV-related PV advection,leading the lower-tropospheric jet associated with moisture transport to intensify greatly and converge over the downstream MLY.The merged TPV−SWCV specially facilitated the upper-tropospheric isentropic-gliding ascending motion over the MLY.With the TPV-embedded mid-tropospheric trough migrating continuously eastward,the almost stagnant SWCV was re-separated from the overlying TPV,forming a more eastward-tilted high-PV configuration to trigger stronger ascending motion including isentropic-gliding,isentropic-displacement,and diabatic heating-related ascending components over the MLY.This led to more intense rainfall.Quantitative PV diagnoses demonstrate that both the coalescence and subsequent re-separation processes of the TPV with the SWCV were largely dominated by horizontal PV advection and PV generation due to vertically nonuniform diabatic heating,as well as the feedback of condensation latent heating on the isentropic-displacement vertical velocity.

Spatial Characteristics of Extreme Rainfall over China with Hourly through 24-Hour Accumulation Periods Based on National-Level Hourly Rain Gauge Data

Hourly rainfall measurements of 1919 national-level meteorological stations from 1981 through 2012 are used to document,for the first time,the climatology of extreme rainfall in hourly through 24-h accumulation periods in China. Rainfall amounts for 3-,6-,12- and 24-h periods at each station are constructed through running accumulation from hourly rainfall data that have been screened by proper quality control procedures. For each station and for each accumulation period,the historical maximum is found,and the corresponding 50-year return values are estimated using generalized extreme value theory. Based on the percentiles of the two types of extreme rainfall values among all the stations,standard thresholds separating Grade I,Grade II and Grade III extreme rainfall are established,which roughly correspond to the 70th and 90th percentiles for each of the accumulation periods. The spatial characteristics of the two types of extreme rainfall are then examined for different accumulation periods. The spatial distributions of extreme rainfall in hourly through 6-h periods are more similar than those of 12- and 24-h periods. Grade III rainfall is mostly found over South China,the western Sichuan Basin,along the southern and eastern coastlines,and in the large river basins and plains. There are similar numbers of stations with Grade III extreme hourly rainfall north and south of 30°N,but the percentage increases to about 70% south of 30°N as the accumulation period increases to 24 hours,reflecting richer moisture and more prolonged rain events in southern China. Potential applications of the extreme rainfall climatology and classification standards are suggested at the end.

Climatology of Tropical Cyclone Extreme Rainfall over China from 1960 to 2019

Tropical cyclone extreme rainfall(TCER)causes devastating floods and severe damage in China and it is therefore important to determine its long-term climatological distribution for both disaster prevention and operational forecasting.Based on the tropical cyclone(TC)best-track dataset and TC precipitation data from 1960 to 2019,the spatiotemporal distribution of TCER affecting China is analyzed.Results show that there were large regional differences in the threshold for TCER in China,decreasing from the southeastern coast to the northwest inland.TCER occurred infrequently in northern China but had a high intensity and was highly localized.The frequency and intensity of TCER showed slightly increasing trends over time and was most likely to occur in August(41.0%).Most of the TC precipitation processes with extreme rainfall lasted for four to six days,with TCER mainly occurring on the third to fourth days.TCER with wide areas showed a northwestward prevailing track and a westward prevailing track.Strong TCs are not always accompanied by extreme precipitation while some weak TCs can lead to very extreme rainfall.A total of 64.7%(35.3%)of the TCER samples occurred when the TC was centered over the land(sea).TCER≥250 mm was located within 3°of the center of the TC.When the center of the TC was located over the sea(land),the extreme rainfall over land was most likely to appear on its northwestern(northeastern)side with a dispersed(concentrated)distribution.TCER has unique climatic characteristics relative to the TC precipitation.

Why Does Extreme Rainfall Occur in Central China during the Summer of 2020 after a Weak El Niño?

In summer 2020,extreme rainfall occurred throughout the Yangtze River basin,Huaihe River basin,and southern Yellow River basin,which are defined here as the central China(CC)region.However,only a weak central Pacific(CP)El Niño happened during winter 2019/20,so the correlations between the El Niño–Southern Oscillation(ENSO)indices and ENSO-induced circulation anomalies were insufficient to explain this extreme precipitation event.In this study,reanalysis data and numerical experiments are employed to identify and verify the primary ENSO-related factors that cause this extreme rainfall event.During summer 2020,unusually strong anomalous southwesterlies on the northwest side of an extremely strong Northwest Pacific anticyclone anomaly(NWPAC)contributed excess moisture and convective instability to the CC region,and thus,triggered extreme precipitation in this area.The tropical Indian Ocean(TIO)has warmed in recent decades,and consequently,intensified TIO basinwide warming appears after a weak El Niño,which excites an extremely strong NWPAC via the pathway of the Indo-western Pacific Ocean capacitor(IPOC)effect.Additionally,the ENSO event of 2019/20 should be treated as a fast-decaying CP El Niño rather than a general CP El Niño,so that the circulation and precipitation anomalies in summer 2020 can be better understood.Last,the increasing trend of tropospheric temperature and moisture content in the CC region after 2000 is also conducive to producing heavy precipitation.

The effects of extreme rainfall events on carbon release from biological soil crusts covered soil in fixed sand dunes in the Tengger Desert, northern China

In May to August of 2011, we assessed the effects of extreme rainfall （quantity and intensity） events on the carbon release from soils covered by different types of biological soil crusts （BSCs） in fixed sand dunes in the Tengger Desert, northern China. A Li-6400-09 Soil Chamber was used to measure the respiration rates of the BSCs immediately after the rainfall stopped, and continued until the respiration rates of the BSCs returned to the pre-rainfall basal rate. Our results showed that almost immediately after extreme rainfall events the respiration rates of algae crust and mixed crust were significantly inhibited, but moss crust was not significantly affected. The respiration rates of algae crust, mixed crust, and moss crust in extreme rainfall quantity and intensity events were, respectively, 0.12 and 0.41 μmolCO2/（m2.s）, 0.10 and 0.45 gmolCO2/（m2·s）, 0.83 and 1.69 gmolCO2/（m2.s）. Our study indicated that moss crust in the advanced succession stage can well adaot to extreme rainfall events in the short term.

Evaluation of WRF-based Convection-Permitting Multi-Physics Ensemble Forecasts over China for an Extreme Rainfall Event on 21 July 2012 in Beijing

On 21 July 2012,an extreme rainfall event that recorded a maximum rainfall amount over 24 hours of 460 mm,occurred in Beijing,China. Most operational models failed to predict such an extreme amount. In this study,a convective-permitting ensemble forecast system（CEFS）,at 4-km grid spacing,covering the entire mainland of China,is applied to this extreme rainfall case. CEFS consists of 22 members and uses multiple physics parameterizations. For the event,the predicted maximum is 415 mm d^-1 in the probability-matched ensemble mean. The predicted high-probability heavy rain region is located in southwest Beijing,as was observed. Ensemble-based verification scores are then investigated. For a small verification domain covering Beijing and its surrounding areas,the precipitation rank histogram of CEFS is much flatter than that of a reference global ensemble. CEFS has a lower（higher） Brier score and a higher resolution than the global ensemble for precipitation,indicating more reliable probabilistic forecasting by CEFS. Additionally,forecasts of different ensemble members are compared and discussed. Most of the extreme rainfall comes from convection in the warm sector east of an approaching cold front. A few members of CEFS successfully reproduce such precipitation,and orographic lift of highly moist low-level flows with a significantly southeasterly component is suggested to have played important roles in producing the initial convection. Comparisons between good and bad forecast members indicate a strong sensitivity of the extreme rainfall to the mesoscale environmental conditions,and,to less of an extent,the model physics.

Impact of the Monsoonal Surge on Extreme Rainfall of Landfalling Tropical Cyclones

A comparative analysis and quantitative diagnosis has been conducted of extreme rainfall associated with landfalling tropical cyclones(ERLTC)and non-extreme rainfall(NERLTC)using the dynamic composite analysis method.Reanalysis data and the tropical cyclone precipitation dataset derived from the objective synoptic analysis technique were used.Results show that the vertically integrated water vapor transport(Q_(vt))during the ERLTC is significantly higher than that during the NERLTC.The Q_(vt)reaches a peak 1−2 days before the occurrence of the ERLTC and then decreases rapidly.There is a stronger convergence for both the Q_(vt)and the horizontal wind field during the ERLTC.The Q_(vt)convergence and the wind field convergence are mainly confined to the lower troposphere.The water vapor budget on the four boundaries of the tropical cyclone indicates that water vapor is input through all four boundaries before the occurrence of the ERLTC,whereas water vapor is output continuously from the northern boundary before the occurrence of the NERLTC.The water vapor inflow on both the western and southern boundaries of the ERLTC exceeds that during the NERLTC,mainly as a result of the different intensities of the southwest monsoonal surge in the surrounding environmental field.Within the background of the East Asian summer monsoon,the low-level jet accompanying the southwest monsoonal surge can increase the inflow of water vapor at both the western and southern boundaries during the ERLTC and therefore could enhance the convergence of the horizontal wind field and the water vapor flux,thereby resulting in the ERLTC.On the other hand,the southwest monsoonal surge decreases the zonal mean steering flow,which leads to a slower translation speed for the tropical cyclone associated with the ERLTC.Furthermore,a dynamic monsoon surge index(DMSI)defined here can be simply linked with the ERLTC and could be used as a new predictor for future operational forecasting of ERLTC.

Predicting extreme rainfall over eastern Asia by using complex networks

A climate network of extreme rainfall over eastern Asia is constructed for the period of 1971-2000, employing the tools of complex networks and a measure of nonlinear correlation called event synchronization （ES）. Using this network, we predict the extreme rainfall for several cases without delay and with n-day delay （1 ≤ n ≤ 10）. The prediction accuracy can reach 58% without delay, 21% with 1-day delay, and 12% with n-day delay （2 ≤ n ≤ 10）. The results reveal that the prediction accuracy is low in years of a weak east Asia summer monsoon （EASM） or 1 year later and high in years of a strong EASM or 1 year later. Furthermore, the prediction accuracy is higher due to the many more links that represent correlations between different grid points and a higher extreme rainfall rate during strong EASM years.

High-resolution Simulation of an Extreme Heavy Rainfall Event in Shanghai Using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model: Sensitivity to Planetary Boundary Layer Parameterization

In this study,an extreme rainfall event that occurred on 25 May 2018 over Shanghai and its nearby area was simulated using the Weather Research and Forecasting model,with a focus on the effects of planetary boundary layer(PBL)physics using double nesting with large grid ratios(15:1 and 9:1).The sensitivity of the precipitation forecast was examined through three PBL schemes:the Yonsei University Scheme,the Mellor−Yamada−Nakanishi Niino Level 2.5(MYNN)scheme,and the Mellor−Yamada−Janjic scheme.The PBL effects on boundary layer structures,convective thermodynamic and large-scale forcings were investigated to explain the model differences in extreme rainfall distributions and hourly variations.The results indicated that in single coarser grids(15 km and 9 km),the extreme rainfall amount was largely underestimated with all three PBL schemes.In the inner 1-km grid,the underestimated intensity was improved;however,using the MYNN scheme for the 1-km grid domain with explicitly resolved convection and nested within the 9-km grid using the Kain−Fritsch cumulus scheme,significant advantages over the other PBL schemes are revealed in predicting the extreme rainfall distribution and the time of primary peak rainfall.MYNN,with the weakest vertical mixing,produced the shallowest and most humid inversion layer with the lowest lifting condensation level,but stronger wind fields and upward motions from the top of the boundary layer to upper levels.These factors all facilitate the development of deep convection and moisture transport for intense precipitation,and result in its most realistic prediction of the primary rainfall peak.

CORRELATION BETWEEN PEAK INTENSITY OF EXTREME AFTERNOON SHORT-DURATION RAINFALL AND HUMIDITY AND SURFACE AIR TEMPERATURE IN SOUTHEAST COAST OF CHINA

Using hourly rainfall intensity, daily surface air temperature, humidity and low-level dew point depressions at55 stations in the southeast coast of China, and sea surface temperature from reanalysis in the coastal region, this paper analyzes the connection between peak intensity of extreme afternoon short-duration rainfall(EASR) and humidity as well as surface air temperature. The dependency of extreme peak intensity of EASR on temperature has a significant transition. When daily highest surface temperature is below(above) 29°C, the peak rainfall intensity shows an ascending(descending) tendency with rising temperature. Having investigated the role of moisture condition in the variation of EASR and temperature, this paper discovered that the decrease of peak rainfall intensity with temperature rising is connected with the variation of relative humidity. At higher temperatures, the land surface relative humidity decreases dramatically as temperature further increases. During this process, the sea surface temperature maintains basically unchanged, resulting in indistinct variations of water vapor content at seas. As water vapor over land is mainly contributed by the quantitative moisture transport from adjacent seas, the decline of relative humidity over land will be consequently caused by the further rise of surface air temperature.

On the Key Dynamical Processes Supporting the 21.7 Zhengzhou Record-breaking Hourly Rainfall in China

An extremely heavy rainfall event occurred in Zhengzhou,China,on 20 July 2021 and produced an hourly rainfall rate of 201.9 mm,which broke the station record for China's Mainland.Based on radar observations and a convection-permitting simulation using the WRF-ARW model,this paper investigates the multiscale processes,especially those at the mesoscale,that support the extreme observed hourly rainfall.Results show that the extreme rainfall occurred in an environment characteristic of warm-sector heavy rainfall,with abundant warm moist air transported from the ocean by an abnormally northward-displaced western Pacific subtropical high and Typhoon In-Fa(2021).However,rather than through back building and echo training of convective cells often found in warm-sector heavy rainfall events,this extreme hourly rainfall event was caused by a single,quasi-stationary storm in Zhengzhou.Scale separation analysis reveals that the extreme-rainproducing storm was supported and maintained by the dynamic lifting of low-level converging flows from the north,south,and east of the storm.The low-level northerly flow originated from a mesoscale barrier jet on the eastern slope of the Taihang Mountain due to terrain blocking of large-scale easterly flows,which reached an overall balance with the southerly winds in association with a low-level meso-β-scale vortex located to the west of Zhengzhou.The large-scale easterly inflows that fed the deep convection via transport of thermodynamically unstable air into the storm prevented the eastward propagation of the weak,shallow cold pool.As a result,the convective storm was nearly stationary over Zhengzhou,resulting in record-breaking hourly precipitation.

Understanding the Evolution and Socio-Economic Impacts of the Extreme Rainfall Events in March-May 2017 to 2020 in East Africa

This study aimed at assessing the evolution, distribution and the socio-economic impacts of extreme rainfall over East Africa during the March, April and May (MAM) rainfall season focusing on assessing the trends and contribution of MAM rainfall in mean annual rainfall across the region. It employed Principal Component Analysis (PCA) methods to capture the patterns and variability of MAM rainfall. The PCA results indicated that the first Principal Component (PC) describe 17% of the total variance, while the first six PCs account only 53.5% of the total variance in MAM rainfall, underscoring the complexity of rainfall forcing factors in the region. It has been observed that MAM rainfall accounts about 30% - 60% of the mean annual rainfall in most parts of the region, signifying its importance in agriculture, water, energy and other socio-economic sectors. MAM has been characterized by increasing variability with varying trend patterns across the region. The MAM rainfall trend is not homogeneous across the region;some areas are experiencing a slight decreasing rainfall trend, while other areas are experiencing a slight increasing rainfall trend. The observed trend dynamics is consistent with the global trend patterns in precipitation as depicted in recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports. Over the last five years MAM rainfall season have been characterized by record-breaking extremes. On 8th May 2017, Tanga and Mombasa meteorological stations recorded 316 mm and 235.1 mm of rainfall in 24 hours respectively, which are the highest amounts for these respective stations, since their establishment. Record highest 24 hours rainfall amounting to 134.9 mm and 119.4 mm were also observed at Buginyanya and Kawanda meteorological stations in Uganda on 18th March 2018 and 7th May 2020. On 6th May 2020, Byimana meteorological station in Rwanda, also observed 140.6 mm of rainfall in 24 hours, the highest since its establishment. These extremes have caused multiple losses of life and property, and severe damages to infrastructure. Unfortunately, the frequency and intensity of these extremes are projected to increase under a changing regional climate patterns. It is therefore important that more studies are carried out to enhance understanding about the evolution, dynamics and predictability of these extremes in East Africa region.

Contrasts between the Interannual Variations of Extreme Rainfall over Western and Eastern Sichuan in Mid-summer

Rainfall amount in mid-summer(July and August)is much greater over eastern than western Sichuan,which are characterized by basin and plateau,respectively.It is shown that the interannual variations of extreme rainfall over these two regions are roughly independent,and they correspond to distinct anomalies of both large-scale circulation and sea surface temperature(SST).The enhanced extreme rainfall over western Sichuan is associated with a southward shift of the Asian westerly jet,while the enhanced extreme rainfall over eastern Sichuan is associated with an anticyclonic anomaly in the upper troposphere over China.At low levels,on the other hand,the enhanced extreme rainfall over western Sichuan is related to two components of wind anomalies,namely southwesterly over southwestern Sichuan and northeasterly over northeastern Sichuan,which favor more rainfall under the effects of the topography.Relatively speaking,the enhanced extreme rainfall over eastern Sichuan corresponds to the low-level southerly anomalies to the east of Sichuan,which curve into northeasterly anomalies over the basin when they encounter the mountains to the north of the basin.Therefore,it can be concluded that the topography in and around Sichuan plays a crucial role in inducing extreme rainfall both over western and eastern Sichuan.Finally,the enhanced extreme rainfall in western and eastern Sichuan is related to warmer SSTs in the Maritime Continent and cooler SSTs in the equatorial central Pacific,respectively.