Influence of Irregular Coastlines on a Tornadic Mesovortex in the Pearl River Delta during Monsoon Season.Part II:Numerical Experiments

As demonstrated in the first part of this study(Part I),wind-shift boundaries routinely form along the west coast of the Pearl River Delta due to the land-sea contrast of a“trumpet”shape coastline in the summer monsoon season.Through multiple numerical simulations,this article(Part II)aims to examine the roles of the trumpet-shaped coastline in the mesovortex genesis during the 1 June 2020 tornadic event.The modeling reproduced two mesovortices that are in close proximity in time and space to the realistic mesovortices.In addition to the modeled mesovortex over the triple point where strong ambient vertical vorticity was located,another mesovortex originated from an enhanced discrete vortex along an airmass boundary via shear instability.On the fine-scale storm morphology,finger-like echoes preceding hook echoes were also reproduced around the triple point.Results from sensitivity experiments suggest that the unique topography plays an essential role in modifying the vorticity budget during the mesovortex formation.While there is a high likelihood of an upcoming storm evolving into a rotating storm over the triple point,the simulation's accuracy is sensitive to the local environmental details and storm dynamics.The strengths of cold pool surges from upstream storms may influence the stretching of low-level vertically oriented vortex and thus the wrap-up of finger-like echoes.These findings suggest that the trumpet-shaped coastline is an important component of mesovortex production during the active monsoon season.It is hoped that this study will increase the situational awareness for forecasters regarding regional non-mesocyclone tornadic environments.

Influence of Irregular Coastlines on a Tornadic Mesovortex in the Pearl River Delta during the Monsoon Season. Part Ⅰ:Pre-storm Environment and Storm Evolution

The Pearl River Delta(PRD),a tornado hotspot,forms a distinct trumpet-shaped coastline that concaves toward the South China Sea.During the summer monsoon season,low-level southwesterlies over the PRD’s sea surface tend to be turned toward the west coast,constituting a convergent wind field along with the landward-side southwesterlies,which influences regional convective weather.This two-part study explores the roles of this unique land–sea contrast of the trumpet-shaped coastline in the formation of a tornadic mesovortex within monsoonal flows in this region.Part I primarily presents observational analyses of pre-storm environments and storm evolutions.The rotating storm developed in a lowshear environment(not ideal for a supercell)under the interactions of three air masses under the influence of the land–sea contrast,monsoon,and storm cold outflows.This intersection zone(or“triple point”)is typically characterized by local enhancements of ambient vertical vorticity and convergence.Based on a rapid-scan X-band phased-array radar,finger-like echoes were recognized shortly after the gust front intruded on the triple point.Developed over the triple point,they rapidly wrapped up with a well-defined low-level mesovortex.It is thus presumed that the triple point may have played roles in the mesovortex genesis,which will be demonstrated in Part II with multiple sensitivity numerical simulations.The findings also suggest that when storms pass over the boundary intersection zone in the PRD,the expected possibility of a rotating storm occurring is relatively high,even in a low-shear environment.Improved knowledge of such environments provides additional guidance to assess the regional tornado risk.

Summer Atmospheric Water Cycle under the Transition Influence of the Westerly and Summer Monsoon over the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin in the Southern Tibetan Plateau

This study compares the summer atmospheric water cycle,including moisture sources and consumption,in the upstream,midstream,and downstream regions of the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin in the southern Tibetan Plateau.The evolutions of moisture properties under the influence of the westerly and summer southerly monsoon are examined using 5-yr multi-source measurements and ERA5 reanalysis data.Note that moisture consumption in this study is associated with clouds,precipitation,and diabatic heating.Compared to the midstream and downstream regions,the upstream region has less moisture,clouds,and precipitation,where the moisture is brought by the westerly.In early August,the vertical wet advection over this region becomes enhanced and generates more high clouds and precipitation.The midstream region has moisture carried by the westerly in June and by the southerly monsoon from July to August.The higher vertical wet advection maximum here forms more high clouds,with a precipitation peak in early July.The downstream region is mainly affected by the southerly-driven wet advection.The rich moisture and strong vertical wet advection here produce the most clouds and precipitation among the three regions,with a precipitation peak in late June.The height of the maximum moisture condensation is different between the midstream region(325 hPa)and the other two regions(375 hPa),due to the higher upward motion maximum in the midstream region.The diabatic heating structures show that stratiform clouds dominate the upstream region,stratiform clouds and deep convection co-exist in the midstream region,and deep convection systems characterize the downstream region.

Characterization and Application of S-Band Polarimetric Radar and X-Band Phased Array Radar for a Tornadic Storm Event on June 16,2022

The X-band phased array radar offers faster scanning speed and higher spatial resolution compared to the S-band radar,making it capable of enhancing tornado monitoring and early warning capabilities.This study analyzed the characteristics and nowcasting signals of a tornado case that occurred on June 16,2022 in the Guangzhou region.Our findings indicate that the violent contraction of rotation radius and the dramatic increase in rotation speed were important signal characteristics associated with tornado formation.The X-band phased array radar,with its high temporal and spatial resolution,provided an opportunity to capture early warning signals from polarimetric characteristics.The X-band phased array radar demonstrated noteworthy ability to identify apparent tornado vortex signature(TVS)features in a 10-minute lead time,surpassing the capabilities of the CINRAD/SA radar.Additionally,due to its higher scanning frequency,the Xband phased-array radar was capable of consistently identifying TVS with shorter intervals,enabling a more precise tracking of the tornado's path.The application of professional radars,in this case,provides valuable insights for the monitoring of evolutions of severe local storms and even tornadoes and the issuance of early warning signals.

Warm–dry collocation of recent drought in southwestern China tied to moisture transport and climate warming

This study aims to investigate the recent drought in southwestern China and its association with environmental changes in moisture transport （MT） and atmospheric circulation. Climatic Research Unit grid data, in situ observations in China, and ERA-interim reanalysis are used to study the characteristics of the drought and the associated mechanism. Recent precipitation trends show a pattern of ＂Northern wetting and Southern drying＂, similar to the anti-phase of the climate pattern prevailing during 1980--2000 in China's Mainland; southwestern China incurred a severe drought during 2009-20l 3. Wavelet analysis reveals that the drought coincides with a warm-dry phase of temperature and precipitation on a period of about 20 years and beyond 100 years, where contributions account for 43% and 57% of the deficiency of the precipitation, averaged for 2003-2012, respectively. A further investigation reveals that the drought results chiefly from the decline of the southwestern monsoon MT toward southwestern China, in addition to mid-latitude circulation changes, which leads to more blockings near the Ural Mountains and the Sea of Okhotsk in the rainy season and negative anomalies around Lake Baikal and northeast China in the dry season. These anomalies are likely to be correlated with global sea surface temperature changes and need to be studied further.

Urbanization effect on precipitation over the Pearl River Delta based on CMORPH data

Based on the satellite data from the Climate Prediction Center morphing(CMORPH) at very high spatial and temporal resolution, the effects of urbanization on precipitation were assessed over the Pearl River Delta(PRD) metropolitan regions of China. CMORPH data well estimates the precipitation features over the PRD. Compared to the surrounding rural areas, the PRD urban areas experience fewer and shorter precipitation events with a lower precipitation frequency(ratio of rainy hours, about 3 days per year less); however, short-duration heavy rain events play a more significant role over the PRD urban areas. Afternoon precipitation is much more pronounced over the PRD urban areas than the surrounding rural areas, which is probably because of the increase in short-duration heavy rain over urban areas.

A Brief Discussion on the High-impact Cold-season Tornado Outbreak During 10-11 December 2021 in the United States

An outbreak of powerful tornadoes tore through multiple states in the central and southern United States from 10 to 11 December 2021.It is claimed the deadliest tornado outbreak that has taken place on December days.The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had confirmed 66 tornadoes as of 21 December,producing at least 90 fatalities.Most tornadoes occurred at night and thus they were difficult to be visually located,which directly increases the risk for local residents.Two violent nighttime tornadoes were rated category 4 on the enhanced Fujita scale(EF4).Although a high death toll was caused during this event,the operational service actually presented an excellent performance.This tornado outbreak has aroused extensive discussion from both the public and the research community in China.This paper presents a brief discussion on the formation environment and warning services of the tornado outbreak.Recall the deadliest violent tornado in the past 45 years in China,the radar-based tornadic vortex signatures at the locations with EF4 damages show a comparable strength with those in the current cases.Some views on the tornado warning issuance and receiving and damage surveys in China are also presented.

Variations in Column Concentration of Greenhouse Gases in China and Their Response to the 2015-2016 El Niño Event

Since the industrial revolution,enhancement of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations as a result of human activities has been the primary cause of global warming.The monitoring and evaluation of greenhouse gases are significant prerequisites for carbon emission control.Using monthly data of global atmospheric carbon dioxide(CO_(2))and methane(CH4)column concentrations(hereinafter XCO_(2) and XCH_(4),respectively)retrieved by the Greenhouse Gas Observation Satellite(GOSAT),we analyzed the variations in XCO_(2)and XCH_(4)in China during 2010-2022 after confirming the reliability of the data.Then,the influence of a strong El Niño event in 2015-2016 on XCO_(2) and XCH_(4) variations in China was further studied.The results show that the retrieved XCO_(2) and XCH_(4) from GOSAT have similar temporal variation trends and significant correlations with the ground observation and emission inventory data of an atmospheric background station,which could be used to assess the variations in XCO_(2) and XCH_(4) in China.XCO_(2) is high in spring and winter while XCH_(4) is high in autumn.Both XCO_(2) and XCH_(4) gradually declined from Southeast China to Northwest and Northeast China,with variation ranges of 401-406 and 1.81-1.88 ppmv,respectively;and the high value areas are located in the middle-lower Yangtze River basin.XCO_(2) and XCH_(4) in China increased as a whole during 2010-2022,with rapid enhancement and high levels of XCO_(2) and XCH_(4) in several areas.The significant increases in XCO_(2) and XCH_(4) over China in 2016 might be closely related to the strong El Niño-Southern Oscillation(ENSO)event during 2015-2016.Under a global warming background in 2015,XCO_(2) and XCH_(4) increased by 0.768%and 0.657%in 2016 in China.Data analysis reveals that both the XCO_(2) and XCH_(4) variations might reflect the significant impact of the ENSO event on glacier melting in the Tibetan Plateau.