Abstract
The variations of regional mean daily precipitation extreme (RMDPE) events in central China and associated circulation anomalies during June, July, and August (JJA) of 1961–2010 are investigated by using daily in-situ precipitation observations and the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data. The precipitation data were collected at 239 state-level stations distributed throughout the provinces of Henan, Hubei, and Hunan. During 1961–2010, the 99th percentile threshold for RMDPE is 23.585 mm day−1. The number of RMDPE events varies on both interannual and interdecadal timescales, and increases significantly after the mid 1980s. The RMDPE events happen most frequently between late June and mid July, and are generally associated with anomalous baroclinic tropospheric circulations. The supply of moisture to the southern part of central China comes in a stepping way from the outer-region of an abnormal anticyclone over the Bay of Bengal and the South China Sea. Fluxes of wave activity generated over the northeastern Tibetan Plateau converge over central China, which favors the genesis and maintenance of wave disturbances over the region. RMDPE events typically occur in tandem with a strong heating gradient formed by net heating in central China and the large-scale net cooling in the surrounding area. The occurrence of RMDPE events over central China is tied to anomalous local cyclonic circulations, topographic forcing over the northeast Tibetan Plateau, and anomalous gradients of diabatic heating between central China and the surrounding areas.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Bao Ming and Huang Ronghui, 2006: Characteristics of the interdecadal variations of heavy rain over China in the last 40 years. Chinese J. Atmos. Sci., 30, 1057–1067. (in Chinese)
Beijing Cooperative Research Group for “75.8” Heavy Rain, 1979: A diagnostic analysis about the “75.8” heavy rain in Henan. Acta Meteor. Sinica, 37, 45–55. (in Chinese)
Bei Naifang and Zhao Sixiong, 2002: Mesoscale analysis of severe local heavy rainfall during the second stage of the 1998 Meiyu season. Chinese J. Atmos. Sci., 26, 526–540. (in Chinese)
Buffoni, L., M. Maugeri, and T. Nanni, 1999: Precipitation in Italy from 1833 to 1996. Theor. Appl. Climatol., 63, 33–40.
Chen Bo, Shi Ruiqin, and Chen Zhenghong, 2010: The variation tendency of heavy precipitation events in different grades during recent 45 years over central China. J. Appl. Meteor. Sci., 21, 47–54. (in Chinese)
China Meteorological Administration, 2008: Yearbook of Meteorological Disasters in China (2008). China Meteorological Press, Beijing, 233 pp. (in Chinese)
—, 2009: Yearbook of Meteorological Disasters in China (2009). China Meteorological Press, Beijing, 203 pp. (in Chinese)
—, 2010: Yearbook of Meteorological Disasters in China (2010). China Meteorological Press, Beijing, 221 pp. (in Chinese)
Ding Yihui, Cai Zeyi, and Li Jishun, 1978: The exceptional torrential rain event in early August of 1975 over Henan. Chinese J. Atmos. Sci., 2, 276–298. (in Chinese)
Easterling, D. R., J. L. Evans, P. Y. Groisman, et al., 2000: Observed variability and trends in extreme climate events: A brief review. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 81, 417–425.
Groisman, P. Y., T. R. Karl, D. R. Easterling, et al., 1999: Changes in the probability of heavy precipitation: Important indicators of climatic change. Climatic Change, 42, 243–283.
Guan Zhaoyong, Han Jie, and Li Minggang, 2011: Circulation patterns of regional mean daily precipitation extremes over the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River during the boreal summer. Climate Research, 50, 171–185.
— and Ren Guoyu, 2012: On Variations of Weather and Climate Extremes in China. China Meteorological Press, Beijing, 347 pp. (in Chinese)
Han Jie, Guan Zhaoyong, and Li Minggang, 2012: Comparisons of circulation anomalies between the daily precipitation extreme and non-extreme events in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River in boreal summer. J. Trop. Meteor., 28, 367–378. (in Chinese)
Hawkins, D. M., 1977: Testing a sequence of observations for a shift in location. J. Amer. Statist. Associat., 72, 180–186.
He Shuqiao, Zheng Youfei, and Yin Jifu, 2013: An analysis on precipitation characteristics over middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River in the last 50 years. J. Ecolog. Environ., 22, 1187–1192. (in Chinese)
Huang Ronghui, Xu Yuhong, Wang Pengfei, et al., 1998: The features of the catastrophic flood over the Changjiang River basin during the summer of 1998 and cause exploration. Climatic Environ. Res., 3, 300–313. (in Chinese)
IPCC, 2012: Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation: Special Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, 582 pp.
Jiao Jianli and Kang Wenying, 2007: Analysis on regional characters of the annual rainfall in Henan Province. Journal of North China Institute of Water Conservancy and Hydroelectric Power, 28, 7–10. (in Chinese)
Karl, T. R., and R. W. Knight, 1998: Secular trends of precipitation amount, frequency, and intensity in the United States. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 79, 231–241.
Kistler, R., W. Collins, S. Saha, et al., 2001: The NCEPNCAR 50-year reanalysis: Monthly means CD-ROM and documentation. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 82, 247–267.
Kunkel, K. E., K. Andsager, and D. R. Easterling, 1999: Long-term trends in extreme precipitation events over the conterminous United States and Canada. J. Climate, 12, 2515–2527.
Li Qingxiang, Jiang Zhihong, Huang Qun, et al., 2008: The experimental detecting and adjusting of the precipitation data homogeneity in the Yangtze delta. J. Appl. Meteor. Sci., 19, 219–226. (in Chinese)
Manton, M. J., P. M. Della-Marta, M. R. Haylock, et al., 2001: Trends in extreme daily rainfall and temperature in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific: 1961–1998. Int. J. Climatol., 21, 269–284.
Mei Shilong and Guan Zhaoyong, 2008: Activities of baroclinic wave packets in the upper troposphere related to Meiyu of 2003 in the Yangtze River-Huaihe River valley. Chinese J. Atmos. Sci., 32, 1333–1340. (in Chinese)
— and —, 2009: Propagation of baroclinic wave packets in upper troposphere during the Meiyu period of 1998 over middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River valley. J. Trop. Meteor., 25, 300–306. (in Chinese)
National Climate Center, 1998: The Severe Floods and Climatic Anomaly in China in 1998. China Meteorological Press, Beijing, 139 pp. (in Chinese)
Park, C. K., and S. D. Schubert, 1997: On the nature of the 1994 East Asian summer drought. J. Climate, 10, 1056–1070.
Pettitt, A. N., 1979: A non-parametric approach to the change-point problem. Applied Statistics, 28, 126–135.
Qin Jun and Wang Haijun, 1997: The study of air temperature and rainfall trend of Hubei Province since 1961. Journal of Huazhong (Central China) Agricultural University, 16, 405–410. (in Chinese)
Ren Guoyu, Wu Hong, and Chen Zhenghong, 2000: Spatial patterns of change trend in rainfall of China. J. Appl. Meteor. Sci., 11, 322–330. (in Chinese)
Ren Yongjian, Gao Yuan, Xiao Ying, et al., 2013: Analysis of the precipitation change character over Central China from 1961 to 2010. Resources and Environment in the Yangtze Basin, 22 (S1), 90–95. (in Chinese)
Research Team of the 1975 August Rainstorm, 1977a: Primary analysis of the causes of cloudburst in August of 1975 (1). Meteor. Mon., 7, 3–5. (in Chinese)
—, 1977b: Primary analysis of the causes of cloudburst in August of 1975 (2). Meteor. Mon., 7, 6–8. (in Chinese)
Solow, A. R., 1987: Testing for climate change: An application of the two-phase regression model. J. Climate Appl. Meteor., 26, 1401–1405.
Song Dawei, Guan Zhaoyong, and Tang Weiya, 2011: Variations of OLR in maritime continent regions in association with droughts and floods in the upper and middle reaches of Yangtze River of China in boreal summer. J. Trop. Meteor., 27, 560–568. (in Chinese)
Stone, D. A., A. J. Weaver, and F. W. Zwiers, 1999: Trends in Canadian precipitation intensity. Atmos. Ocean, 38, 321–347.
Sun Jie, Xu Yang, Chen Zhenghong, et al., 2010: Characteristics of precipitation in central region of China over 45 years. Resources and Environment in the Yangtze Basin, 19, 45–51. (in Chinese)
Sun Shuqing and Ma Shujie, 2001: A study on the relationship between the anomaly of subtropical high over the western Pacific and the heavy flooding in Yangtze River valley in 1998. Acta Meteor. Sinica, 59, 719–729. (in Chinese)
Takaya, K., and H. Nakamura, 2001: A formulation of a phase-independent wave-activity flux for stationary and migratory quasigeostrophic eddies on a zonally varying basic flow. J. Atmos. Sci., 58, 608–627.
Tan Yan and Chen Dehui, 2008: Mesoscale ensemble forecasts on “75.8” heavy rain in Henan. Meteor. Mon., 34, 10–21. (in Chinese)
Wang Jianjie and Li Zechun, 2002: Numerical simulation and diagnostic analysis on mesoscale convective systems of a torrential rain case in Meiyu period of 1998. Acta Meteor. Sinica, 60, 146–155. (in Chinese)
Wang Lijuan, Guan Zhaoyong, and He Jinhai, 2008: Circulation background of the extremely heavy rain causing severe floods in Huaihe River valley in 2003 and its relationships to the apparent heating. Scientia Meteor. Sinica, 28, 1–7. (in Chinese)
Wang, Y. Q., and L. Zhou, 2005: Observed trends in extreme precipitation events in China during 1961–2001 and the associated changes in large-scale circulation. Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L09707, doi: 10.1029/2005GL022574
Wang Zhifu and Qian Yongfu, 2009: Frequency and intensity of extreme precipitation events in China. Adv. Water Sci., 20, 1–9. (in Chinese)
Wang Zhiwei, Zhai Panmao, Tang Hongyu, et al., 2005: Variation of characteristics of waterlogging by rain over southern China in the last half century. J. Natural Disasters, 14, 56–60. (in Chinese)
Wen Kegang and Pang Tianhe, 2005: Yearly Book of Meteorological Disasters of China (Henan Volume). China Meteorological Press, Beijing, 398 pp. (in Chinese)
— and Zeng Qinghua, 2006: Yearly book of Meteorological Disasters of China (Hunan Volume). China Meteorological Press, Beijing, 509 pp. (in Chinese)
— and Jiang Hairu, 2007: Yearly Book of Meteorological Disasters of China (Hubei Volume). China Meteorological Press, Beijing, 462 pp. (in Chinese)
Wijngaard, J. B., A.M. G. Klein Tank, and G. P. Können, 2003: Homogeneity of 20th century European daily temperature and precipitation series. Int. J. Climatol., 23, 679–692.
Xiao Yan, Li Zuxian, Zhang Xinping, et al., 2010: Research on extreme precipitation event characteristics of Xiangjiang River basin in recent 48 years. Resources and Environment in the Yangtze Basin, 19, 1356–1362. (in Chinese)
Xu Shuangzhu, Zou Liwei, Liu Huosheng, et al., 2008: Mesoscale system and numerical simulation analysis of heavy rain in Hubei Province during Meiyu. Plateau Meteor., 27, 567–575. (in Chinese)
Yamamoto, R., and Y. Sakurai, 1999: Long-term intensification of extremely heavy rainfall intensity in recent 100 years. World Resource Review, 11, 271–282.
Zhai, P., A. Sun, F. Ren, et al., 1999a: Changes of climate extremes in China. Climatic Change, 42, 203–218.
—, Ren Fumin, and Zhang Qiang, 1999b: Detection of trends in China’s precipitation extremes. Acta Meteor. Sinica, 57, 208–216. (in Chinese)
—, and X. H. Pan, 2003: Change in extreme temperature and precipitation over northern China during the second half of the 20th century. Acta Geographica Sinica, 58, 1–10.
Zhang Jianming, Li Zuxian, and Zhang Xinping, 2008: Precipitation change in Hunan Province. Adv. Climate Change Res., 4, 101–105. (in Chinese)
Zhang Xiaoling, Tao Shiyan, Zhang Shunli, et al., 2004: A case study of persistent heavy rainfall over Hunan Province in July 1996. J. Appl. Meteor. Sci., 15, 21–31. (in Chinese)
Zhang Yan, Ding Yihui, and Ma Qiang, 2001: Analysis of the atmospheric circulation in relation to persistent rain storm on the Meiyu front. Climatic Environ. Res., 6, 161–167. (in Chinese)
Zou Yongchang, Yang Xiuqun, Sun Xuguang, et al., 2009: Seasonal difference of the spatio-temporal variation of the number of the extreme precipitation processes in China. J. Nanjing Univ. (Nat. Sci. Ed.), 45, 98–109. (in Chinese)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41330425) and China Meteorological Administration Special Public Welfare Research Fund (GYHY201406024).
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ke, D., Guan, Z. Variations in regional mean daily precipitation extremes and related circulation anomalies over central China during boreal summer. J Meteorol Res 28, 524–539 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13351-014-3246-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13351-014-3246-9