EFFECTS OF LOW-LATITUDE MONSOON SURGE ON THE INCREASE IN DOWNPOUR FROM TROPICAL STORM BILIS

By using the dataset of CMA-STI Tropical Cyclone Optimal Tracks, NCEP/NCAR reanalysis and intensive surface observations, a study is performed of the influences of a low-latitude monsoon surge on the longer persistence and increase in torrential rains from the landing tropical storm Bilis. Results suggest that the southwest monsoon was anomalously active after Bilis came ashore. The westerly winds in Bilis's south side might give rise to the poleward movement of the SW monsoon, thus enlarging the pressure gradient between Bilis and the anticyclonic circulation to the south with the result of greatly intensified SW monsoon, which fueled plentiful water vapor, heat and momentum into the declining Bilis and allowed its long stay over land instead of erosion and disappearance. Before Bilis's landfall, the 2006 East Asian monsoon surge, characterized by the atmospheric ISO, experienced remarkable northward propagation. After landfall, the strong surge and powerful low frequency vapor convergence were just on the south side of Bilis, resulting in sharply increased rainfall. In addition, a broad belt of high-valued vapor fluxes extended from the eastern Arabian Sea via the Bay of Bengal, Indochina Peninsula and the South China Sea into the south of China. The belt was linked with the SW monsoon surge forming a moist tongue stretching from the Bay of Bengal to the south of China, which supplied continuously abundant vapor for Bilis along with the surge propagating poleward.

NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE MAINTENANCE AND INCREASE IN HEAVY RAINFALL OF THE LANDING TROPICAL STORM BILIS AND MOISTURE TRANSPORT FROM LOWER LATITUDES

The NCEP/NCAR reanalysis, Japan Meteorological Agency(JMA) tropical cyclone tracks and intensive surface observations are used to diagnose the features of moisture transport of tropical storm Bilis(No. 0604), which is simulated by the WRF(weather research and forecasting) mesoscale numerical model. It is shown that the Bilis was linked with the moisture channel in the lower latitudes after its landing. Meanwhile, the cross-equatorial flows over 80°-100°E and Somali were active and brought abundant water vapor into the tropical storm, facilitating the maintenance of the landing storm with intensified heavy rainfall along its path. The simulation suggested that the decreased water vapor from lower latitudes prevents the maintenance of Bilis and the development of rainfall. While the cross-equatorial flows over 80°-100°E and Somali were in favor of keeping the cyclonic circulation over land. If the moisture supply fro m the Somali jet stream was reduced, the strength and area of heavy rainfall in tropical cyclone would be remarkably weakened. Consequently, the decreased water vapor from lower latitudes can remarkably suppress the deep convection in tropical storm, then Bilis was damped without the persistent energy support and the rainfall was diminished accordingly.