The Characteristics of Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCSs) over East Asia in Warm Seasons

Mesoscale convective system (MCS) cloud clusters,defined using an objective recognition analysis based on hourly geostationary infrared satellite data over East Asia during the warm seasons of 1996-2008 (except 2004),were investigated in this study.The geographical pattern of MCS distribution over East Asia shows several high-frequency centers at low latitudes,including the Indo-China peninsula,the Bay of Bengal,the Andaman Sea,the Brahmaputra river delta,the south China coastal region,and the Philippine Islands.There are several middle-frequency centers in the middle latitudes,e.g.,the central-east of the Tibet Plateau,the Plateau of west Sichuan,Mount Wuyi,and the Sayan Mountains in Russia;whereas in Lake Baikal,the Tarim Basin,the Taklimakan Desert,the Sea of Japan,and the Sea of Okhotsk,rare MCS distributions are observed.MCSs are most intensely active in summer,with the highest monthly frequency in July,which is partly associated with the breaking out and prevailing of the summer monsoon in East Asia.An obvious diurnal cycle feature is also found in MCS activities,which shows that MCSs are triggered in the afternoon,mature in the evening,and dissipate at night.MCS patterns over East Asia can be characterized as small,short-lived,or elongated,which move slowly and usually lead to heavy rains or floods.     

Effects of an Urban Park and Residential Area on the Atmospheric CO2 Concentration and Flux in Seoul, Korea

The CO₂ concentrations and fluxes over an urban forest site (Namsan) and an urban residential region (Boramae) in Seoul, Korea, during the non-growing season (2–4 March 2011), the growing season (10–12 June 2011), and the late-growing season (22–24 September 2011) were analyzed. The CO₂ concentrations of two sites showed nearly the same diurnal variation, with a maximum value occurring during the night and a minimum value occurring during daytime, as well as the same seasonal variation, with a maximum value during the non-growing season (early spring) and a minimum value during the growing season (summer). The CO₂ flux over the urban forest did not show any typical diurnal variation during the non-growing season, but did show diurnal variation with a small positive value during the night and a large negative value during daytime in the growing and late-growing seasons due to photosynthesis in the urban forest. The CO₂ flux over the urban residential region showed a positive daily mean value for all periods, with large values during the non-growing season and small values during the growing season, and it also showed diurnal variation with two maxima at 0600–1000 LST and 1800–2400 LST, and two minima at 0300-0600 LST and 1100-1500 LST, and was strongly correlated with the use of liquefied natural gas for cooking and heating by surrounding houses.     

Regional climate simulations of summer diurnal rainfall variations over East Asia and Southeast China

This study evaluates the performance of RegCM3 (Regional Climate Model Version 3) in simulating the East Asian rainfall, with emphasis on the diurnal variations of rainfall over Southeast China during the 1998–2002 summer (June–August) seasons. The evaluation focuses on the sensitivity of the choice of cumulus parameterizations and model domain. With the right setup, the spatial and temporal evolution of diurnal rainfall over Southeast China, which has not been well simulated by past studies, can be accurately simulated by RegCM3. Results show that the Emanuel cumulus scheme has a more realistic simulation of summer mean rainfall in East Asia, while the GFC (Grell scheme with the Frisch-Chappell convective closure assumption) scheme is better in simulating the diurnal variations of rainfall over Southeast China. The better performance of these two schemes [relative to the other two schemes in RegCM3: the Kuo scheme and the GAS (Grell scheme with the Arakawa–Schubert closure assumption) scheme] can be attributed to the reasonable reproduction of the major formation mechanism of rainfall—the moisture flux convergence—over Southeast China. Furthermore, when the simulation domain covers the entire Tibetan Plateau, the diurnal variations of rainfall over Southeast China are found to exhibit a noticeable improvement without changes in the physics schemes.     

北极海冰的气候变化与20世纪90年代的突变

应用英国Had ley气候研究中心1968~2000年的1°×1°的北半球逐月海冰密集度资料,使用EOF分解等统计方法,探讨北极海冰的气候变化趋势、海冰的突变、海冰的季节持续性和各季的特色。结果表明:(1)自1968年以来,北极海冰的减小是北半球海冰变化的总趋势;海冰的趋势变化在海冰的年际总变化中占有相当重要的地位,可达50%左右。冬春季主要减少区域在格陵兰海、巴伦支海和白令海;夏秋季海冰减少是唯一趋势,中心在北冰洋边缘的喀拉海、拉普捷夫海、东西伯利亚海、楚科奇海、波弗特海。(2)20世纪80年代中后期北极海冰已出现减小趋势,在20世纪90年代,海冰又出现范围和面积的突然减少,中心在格陵兰海和巴伦支海;即海冰减少是加速的,其变化程度已远远超过一般的自然变化。(3)海冰有很好的季节持续性,有很强的隔季相关,也有较好的隔年相关;各季节海冰分布型之间有很好的联系,表现为海冰分布型的总体变化趋势是一致的,在海冰的减少中也体现了分布型的特征。     

东海区风场降尺度模拟影响因子研究

基于中尺度WRF模式,采用NCEP FNL最终分析资料作为初始场和侧边界条件,以2009年为例,对中国东海区风场进行了动力降尺度研究,旨在检验WRF模式长期积分的动力降尺度能力,并考察动力降尺度方法在东海区的适用情况,为东海区多年时间尺度的风场降尺度研究提供参考。结果表明,3种不同积分方式模拟的风场均能较好地描述东海区风场的季节变化,且整体在冬季的模拟,要优于夏季的模拟。5DAY试验模拟效果最优,其他两组试验稍差。说明每5 d更新一次初始场的积分方式能够最好地描述东海区风场。每10 d更新一次初始场比起1 a连续积分模拟效果并无优势,连续长期积分模拟虽会导致系统误差累积,但定期更新初始场的方法并不一定能有效改善东海区风场的模拟效果。对于加入谱逼近方案的3种积分方式模拟的风场,每10 d更新一次初始场的试验对加入谱逼近方案响应最为明显。但就总体试验效果,5DAYS试验模拟效果仍然是最好的。加入谱逼近方案使得1 a连续积分这种积分方式模拟效果变差。由此说明,加入谱逼近方案后,采用5 d更新一次初始场的方式驱动,每次积分时间较短,初始场的作用还较强,故其改善效果不如10 d更新一次初始场;对于1 a连续积分,谱逼近方案使得初始场的改变导致了连续积分的误差积累增大。     

Distribution of convective energy at upper level in South Korea and the possibility of artificial showery rain caused by activated CAPE

This paper reports a theoretical study on the possibility of inducing artificial showery rain using the convective available potential energy, which is naturally stored in the troposphere. We calculated the environmental parameters (frequency of climatic values, extreme value of stability index, etc.) in the upper troposphere using rawinsonde data from six main stations in Korea from 2001 to 2008 and examined the temporal spatial convective energy according to region. Our results showed that convective available potential energy, which can induce artificial rainfall, existed in the troposphere mainly in summer and were low in other seasons. Its value was found to be highest during late afternoon and in inland regions. We examined the vertical structure of the atmosphere using moisture convergence and vertical velocity (omega) and found that precipitation occurred under strong real latent instability conditions with high convective available potential energy (>3,000?J/kg) in summer and was characterized by moisture convergence at 1,000?C400?hPa, moisture divergence at 400?C300?hPa, and continuous ascending air current at 1,000?C300?hPa (?C??), on average. However, precipitation still did not occur in more than half the cases with high convective available potential energy because, according to the analysis, convective rainfall is affected to a greater extent by the value of convective inhibition than by convective available potential energy. It was also verified that in spite of zero convective inhibition, if the updrafts at a lower level were not sufficient to generate high convective available potential energy at a level higher than the level of free convection, convective rainfall would not occur under real latent instability. Therefore, we suggest it might be possible during the summer to secure the water resources in regions without precipitation by inducing ascending air current artificially under unstable atmospheric conditions to induce showery rain.     

青藏高原大气水汽探测误差及其成因

青藏高原大气水汽分布对区域天气气候有很大影响,其探测资料的可靠性备受关注。以地基全球定位系统(GPS)遥感的大气可降水量为对比参照,分析了1999—2008年拉萨和2003年那曲探空观测大气可降水量的误差及其原因。结果表明,近10年拉萨站探空观测的可降水量比GPS遥感的可降水量明显偏小,偏小程度随使用不同的探空仪而异。GZZ-2型机械探空仪和GTS-1型电子探空仪多年平均的大气可降水量相对偏差分别为8.8%和4.4%,随机误差分别为19.8%和13.3%。近10年大气可降水量探测偏差具有减少的趋势,从12.7%减少至2.4%,主要是由探空仪性能改进所致。分析发现青藏高原大气可降水量探测偏差具有明显的日变化,12时(世界时)比00时大。拉萨站GZZ-2型和GTS-1型探空仪在12时多年平均的大气可降水量探测偏差分别为15.8%和8.3%,00时分别为1.6%和0.5%。那曲站GZZ-2型探空仪在12和00时的大气可降水量探测偏差分别为12.4%和0.3%。大气可降水量探测偏差还具有季节变化,夏季大,冬季小。对大气可降水量探测偏差日变化和季节变化的成因分析表明,12时气温比00时气温高以及夏季比冬季气温高是造成大气可降水量探测偏差日变化和季节变化的重要原因。     

夏季青藏高原地面热源和高原低涡生成频数的日变化

通过1981—2010年NCEP/NCAR再分析资料,分析出夏季青藏高原地面热源具有强烈的日变化,白天高原是强热源,夜间高原地面转变为弱热汇,日较差可达420 W·m~(-2),呈由西向东递减分布。其中地面感热和潜热加热的日变化均十分明显,日较差分别可达300 W·m~(-2)和200 W·m~(-2);感热加热的日变幅由西北向东南递减,而潜热加热由南向北递减。同时,利用人工识别的高原低涡数据集初步分析了夏季高原低涡生成频数的日变化,发现夜间生成的高原低涡频数略高于白天,其中00 UTC的低涡源地主要在西藏那曲和林芝(工布江达),12 UTC低涡源地主要在西藏那曲和青海玉树。     

Extreme monsoons over East Asia: Possible role of Indian Ocean Zonal Mode

Summary The influence of the Indian Ocean Zonal Mode on the extreme summer monsoon rainfall over East Asia (China, Korea, Japan) has been investigated applying simple statistical techniques of correlation and composite analysis. While the observed rainfall data are used as a measure of rainfall activity, the NCEP-NCAR Reanalysis data are used to examine the circulation features associated with the extreme monsoon phases and the dynamics of the zonal mode – monsoon variability connections. The data used covers the period 1960 to 2000.The equatorial Indian Ocean is dominated by westerly winds blowing towards Indonesia. However, during the positive phase of the zonal mode, an anomalous, intensified easterly flow prevails, consistent with the positive (negative) sea surface temperature anomalies over the western (southeastern) equatorial Indian Ocean. This positive phase of the zonal mode enhances summer monsoon activity over China, but suppresses the monsoon activity over the Korea-Japan sector, 3 to 4 seasons later. The relationship is more consistent and stronger over the Korea-Japan region than over China.The Indian Ocean influences the monsoon variability over East Asia via the northern hemisphere mid-latitudes or via the eastern Indian Ocean/west Pacific route. The monsoon-desert mechanism induces strong subsidence northwest of India due to the anomalous convection over the Indian Ocean region associated with the positive phase of the zonal mode. This induces a zonal wave pattern over the mid-latitudes of Asia propagating eastwards and displacing the north Pacific subtropical high over East Asia. The warming over the eastern Indian Ocean/west Pacific inhibits the westward extension of the north Pacific sub-tropical high. The location and shape of this high plays a dominant role in the monsoon variability over East Asia. The memory for delayed impact, three to four seasons later, could be carried by the surface boundary conditions of Eurasian snow cover via the northern channel or the equatorial SSTs near the Indonesian Through Flow via the southern channel.     

青藏高原探空大气水汽偏差及订正方法研究

水汽是大气的主要成分和降水的主要物质来源.青藏高原大气水汽分布对区域天气和气候有很大影响,为了探讨探空观测的大气水汽总量（R）资料的可靠性,本文以地基GPS遥感的大气水汽总量（G）为参照标准,对拉萨（1999~2010年）和那曲（2003年）的R进行对比分析和偏差（R-G）订正.结果表明:近10多年拉萨站R比G明显偏小,偏小程度随使用不同的探空仪而异.GZZ-2型机械探空仪和GTS-1型电子探空仪多年平均的PW偏差分别为-8.8%和-3.9%,随机误差分别为17.6%和13.6%.近10多年PW偏差变化呈减少趋势,这与探空仪性能改进有关.分析发现,青藏高原PW偏差具有明显季节变化和日变化特征,夏季比冬季明显,1200 UTC比0000 UTC明显.拉萨站GZZ-2型和GTS-1型探空仪在1200 UTC多年平均的PW偏差分别为-15.8%和-7.3%,在0000 UTC分别为-1.6%和-0.4%.那曲站GZZ-2型探空仪在1200 UTC和0000 UTC的PW偏差分别为-12.4%和-0.3%.分析还表明,太阳辐射加热与气温的日变化和季节变化是造成高原PW偏差日变化和季节变化的重要原因.据此,提出了高原PW偏差的订正方法,并以拉萨和那曲站为例进行PW偏差订正,订正后的PW系统偏差显著减少,随机误差也相应得到了改善.     

Diurnal variations of precipitation over the South China Sea

In this study, the diurnal variations of precipitation and related mechanisms over the South China Sea (SCS) are studied using the TRMM and other auxiliary atmospheric data. We have found that: (1) the amplitude and peak time of the diurnal precipitation over SCS exhibit remarkable regional features and seasonal variations. Diurnal variations are robust all the year around over the southern SCS especially over the Kalimantan Island and its offshore area. Over the middle to northern SCS, however, diurnal variations are noticeable only in the summer and autumn; (2) over the northern SCS precipitation peaks in early morning, while over the southern SCS it has two diurnal peaks: one in the early morning and another in the late afternoon; (3) the diurnal variations of precipitation over the SCS are related to the activity of the SCS summer monsoon and the ENSO events. The late afternoon precipitation increases remarkably after the onset of the SCS summer monsoon over the northern SCS. The early-morning rainfall peak is much more significant during La Nina years than during El Nino years; (4) the land–sea breeze is responsible for the diurnal cycle over the Kalimantan Island and its offshore area while the “static radiation–convection” mechanisms may result in the early-morning rainfall peak over the SCS.     

北极海冰年际变化对东亚中纬度夏季陆面热力异常的指示作用及其可能原因

本文分析了夏季东亚中纬度近地面温度和春、夏北极海冰时空变化特征,探讨了格陵兰海、巴伦支海海冰异常变化与夏季东亚中纬度陆面热力异常在年际上的可能联系。结果表明:(1)1950—2014年,东亚中纬度夏季近地面温度明显增暖,并伴有明显的年际变化,年际变率最大值的区域主要位于40°N以北至贝加尔湖地区;春、夏格陵兰海和巴伦支海的海冰也呈现明显的减少趋势,同时表现出较强的年际变化特征。(2)春、夏格陵兰海、巴伦支海海冰异常对东亚中纬度夏季陆面热力异常具有一定的指示作用:春、夏格陵兰海、巴伦支海海冰异常偏多,通常对应夏季东亚中纬度近地面的东亚中纬度夏季增暖现象;反之亦然。(3)春、季格陵兰海、巴伦支海北极海冰指数(Arctic Sea Ice Index,ASII)高值年(海冰异常偏多年份),贝加尔湖及西南的蒙古高原地区通常为大范围的异常高压控制,有利于近地面温度升高;同时由于乌拉尔山阻塞高压减弱,极地南下的冷空气减弱,有利于东亚中纬度区域的温度升高。而ASII低值年的情形则相反,贝加尔湖以南地区受异常低压控制,乌拉尔山阻塞高压增强,冷空气易向南侵袭,不利于东亚中纬度近地面升温。     

华南7月异常温度气候变化研究

采用中国气象局整编的月平均气温资料、NCEP／NGAR再分析资料等,分析了华南7月极端气温的气候变化,并据此探讨了2003年7月华南高温的成因。研究表明：华南7月高、低温年500hPa欧亚环流差异显著;高(低)温年东亚热带夏季风偏弱(强)。华南7月气温异常与我国南海、东海和赤道中东太平洋前冬和夏季的SST及同期南海和西北太平洋的台风活动关系密切。     

A Climatology of Extratropical Cyclones over East Asia During 1958–2001

A climatology of extratropical cyclones (ECs) over East Asia (20 -75 N, 60 -160 E) is analyzed by applying an improved objective detection and tracking algorithm to the 4-time daily sea level pressure fields from the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) reanalysis data. A total of 12914 EC processes for the period of 1958-2001 are identified, with an EC database integrated and EC activities reanalyzed using the objective algorithm. The results reveal that there are three major cyclogenesis regions: West Siberian Plain, Mongolia (to the south of Lake Baikal), and the coastal region of East China; whereas significant cyclolysis regions are observed in Siberia north of 60 N, Northeast China, and Okhotsk Sea-Northwest Pacific. It is found that the EC lifetime is largely 1-7 days while winter ECs have the shortest lifespan. The ECs are the weakest in summer among the four seasons. Strong ECs often appear in West Siberia, Northeast China, and Okhotsk Sea-Northwest Pacific. Statistical analysis based on k-means clustering has identified 6 dominating trajectories in the area south of 55 N and east of 80 E, among which 4 tracks have important impacts on weather/climate in China. ECs occurring in spring (summer) tend to travel the longest (shortest). They move the fastest in winter, and the slowest in summer. In winter, cyclones move fast in Northeast China, some areas of the Yangtze-Huaihe River region, and the south of Japan, with speed greater than 15 m s 1 . Explosively-deepening cyclones are found to occur frequently along the east coast of China, Japan, and Northwest Pacific, but very few storms occur over the inland area. Bombs prefer to occur in winter, spring, and autumn. Their annual number and intensity in 1990 and 1992 in East Asia (EA) are smaller and weaker than their counterparts in North America.     

冬夏季环流隔季相关的数值试验

利用海气耦合和大气气候模式研究东亚冬季风异常对夏季环流的影响, 结果表明, 东亚冬季风异常对于后期环流及海洋状态异常都起了很大的作用.一般情况下, 强的冬季风与后期弱的东亚夏季风和较强的南海季风相对应.与强(弱)冬季风异常相关的风应力的改变可以使热带太平洋海温从冬季至夏季呈现La Nina (El Nio)型异常分布.试验得到的由冬季风异常所产生的海洋及夏季环流的变化与实况是相当接近的.在异常的冬季风偏北风分量强迫下, 西太平洋上形成的偏差气旋环流在夏季已不存在, 这时东亚夏季风反而增强.而冬季赤道西风分量所产生的影响, 则在西太平洋上形成显著的偏差气旋环流, 使东亚副热带夏季风减弱, 南海夏季风加强.对于东亚大气环流而言, 与强弱冬季风对应的热带海洋海温异常强迫下, 不仅是冬季, 后期春季和夏季环流的特征都能得到很好的模拟.但是从分区看, 西太平洋暖池区的海温异常比东太平洋更为重要.单纯的热带中东太平洋的海温异常对东亚大气环流的影响主要表现在冬季, 对后期的影响并不十分清楚.整个热带海洋的异常型分布(不论是El Nio还是La Nia)型, 对冬夏季风的影响是重要的, 而单纯的某个地区的海温异常都比它的整体影响要小.从试验结果看, 海温在大尺度冬夏季环流的隔季相关中起了十分重要的作用.     

Analyses and numerical modeling of a polar low over the Japan Sea on 19 December 2003

A meso-α-scale polar low was observed over the Japan Sea on 19 December 2003. It initialed around 11 UTC over the northwestern part of the Japan Sea within a synoptic-scale parent low under the influence of baroclinic environment and disappeared over the eastern edge of Japan Islands with a lifetime of about 20 h. It is of interest that this polar low had “concentric eye-walls” and “warm core” structure at its mature stage. The evolutionary process and spatial structure of this polar low were investigated by using almost all available observational data, including the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-9, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite imagery, the Final Analyses (FNL) data issued by National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), the surface observational data and the 9-station sounding data of Japan Islands. In order to study its development mechanism, a 24-h numerical simulation using the version 4.4 of the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) starting from 12 UTC 19 December 2003 with an 8 km × 8 km resolution was performed. It is shown that the RAMS model reproduced the main features of the polar low reasonably well. The vorticity budget analyses indicate that the stretching term is the major contributor for the vorticity increase of the polar low. The baroclinic background seems to play significant role for the initial development of this polar low. However, the effect of the diabatic heating for its later development is also significant.     

Atmospheric Circulation Patterns over East Asia and Their Connection with Summer Precipitation and Surface Air Temperature in Eastern China during 1961–2013

Based on the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data and Chinese observational data during 1961–2013, atmospheric circulation patterns over East Asia in summer and their connection with precipitation and surface air temperature in eastern China as well as associated external forcing are investigated. Three patterns of the atmospheric circulation are identified, all with quasi-barotropic structures: (1) the East Asia/Pacific (EAP) pattern, (2) the Baikal Lake/Okhotsk Sea (BLOS) pattern, and (3) the eastern China/northern Okhotsk Sea (ECNOS) pattern. The positive EAP pattern significantly increases precipitation over the Yangtze River valley and favors cooling north of the Yangtze River and warming south of the Yangtze River in summer. The warm sea surface temperature anomalies over the tropical Indian Ocean suppress convection over the northwestern subtropical Pacific through the Ekman divergence induced by a Kelvin wave and excite the EAP pattern. The positive BLOS pattern is associated with below-average precipitation south of the Yangtze River and robust cooling over northeastern China. This pattern is triggered by anomalous spring sea ice concentration in the northern Barents Sea. The anomalous sea ice concentration contributes to a Rossby wave activity flux originating from the Greenland Sea, which propagates eastward to North Pacific. The positive ECNOS pattern leads to below-average precipitation and significant warming over northeastern China in summer. The reduced soil moisture associated with the earlier spring snowmelt enhances surface warming over Mongolia and northeastern China and the later spring snowmelt leads to surface cooling over Far East in summer, both of which are responsible for the formation of the ECNOS pattern.     

Temporal variations in surface ozone and its precursors and meteorological effects at an urban site in China

Continuous measurements of ozone and its precursors including NO, NO₂, and CO at an urban site (32°03′N, 118°44′E) in Nanjing, China during the period from January 2000 to February 2003 are presented. The effects of local meteorological conditions and distant transports associated with seasonal changed Asian monsoons on the temporal variations of O₃ and its precursors are studied by statistical, backward trajectory, and episode analyses. The diurnal variation in O₃ shows high concentrations during daytime and low concentrations during late night and early morning, while the precursors show high concentrations during night and early morning and low concentrations during daytime. The diurnal variations in air pollutants are closely related to those in local meteorological conditions. Both temperature and wind speed have significant positive correlations with O₃ and significant negative correlations with the precursors. Relative humidity has a significant negative correlation with O₃ and significant positive correlations with the precursors. The seasonal variation in O₃ shows low concentrations in late autumn and winter and high concentrations in late spring and early summer, while the precursors show high concentrations in late autumn and winter and low concentrations in summer. Local mobile and stationary sources make a great contribution to the precursors, but distant transports also play a very important role in the seasonal variations of the air pollutants. The distant transport associated with the southeastern maritime monsoon contributes substantially to the O₃ because the originally clean maritime air mass is polluted when passing over the highly industrialized and urbanized areas in the Yangtze River Delta. The high frequency of this type of air mass in summer causes the fact that a common seasonal characteristic of surface O₃ in East Asia, summer minimum, is not observed at this site. The distant transports associated with the northern continental monsoons that dominate in autumn and winter are related to the high concentrations of the precursors in these two seasons. This study can contribute to a better understanding of the O₃ pollution in vast inland of China affected by meteorological conditions and the rapid urbanization and industrialization.     

Climatic features of the south-westerly low-level jet over southeast china and its association with precipitation over east China

The major features of the south-westerly low-level jet (LLJ) in the lower troposphere over Southeast China and its climatic impacts are investigated by using FNL reanalysis data and observational precipitation data. Results show that LLJ mainly occurs in spring and summer and the occurrence frequency of LLJ over southeast China has significant diurnal cycle, most LLJ occur in the nighttime (0200 LST and 0800 LST). The high nocturnal occurrence frequency of LLJ is mainly resulting from increased nocturnal ageostrophic wind. Research on the climatic impacts of large-scale conditions depicts that, the occurrence of LLJ in April mainly results from the northward shifting of western pacific subtropical high (WPSH), and the occurrence of LLJ in July results from the strengthening of detouring flow around Tibetan Plateau. Analysis of the climatic effects of LLJ on precipitation distribution in 3 rainy seasons over Southeast China indicates that the rainfall events with strong intensity correspond to strong LLJs. The LLJ affects the precipitation over Southeast China by transporting water vapor and triggering upward motion. Rainfall regions well corresponds to the regions of the moisture convergence and strong upward motion triggered by LLJ. Negative wind divergence anomalies at 850 hPa and positive wind divergence anomalies at 200 hPa over the Yangtze-Huaihe River Valley strengthen the upward motion over this region, which are conductive to produce more precipitation over the Yangtze-Huaihe River Valley.     

High-resolution climatology of lightning characteristics within Central Europe

A 6-year analysis (including data of 36 million strokes) of the spatial and temporal occurrence of lightning strokes in Germany and neighbouring areas is presented. The analysis on a high-resolution grid with spatial resolution of 1 km allows assessing the local risk of lightning and studying local effects, e.g. the influence of orography on the occurrence of thunderstorms. The analysis reveals spatial and temporal patterns: the highest number of lightning strokes occurs in the pre-alpine region of southern Germany, further local maxima exists in low mountain ranges. The lowest number of lightning strokes is present in areas of the North Sea and Baltic Sea. Despite a high year-to-year variability of lightning rates, on average a clear annual cycle (maximum June to August) and diurnal cycle (maximum in the afternoon) are present. In addition to this well-known annual and diurnal pattern, the analysis shows that those are intertwined: the diurnal cycle has an annual cycle, visible in the time of daily maximum which occurs later in the afternoon in summer compared to spring and autumn. Furthermore, the annual cycle of lightning is varying geographically, e.g. offshore and coastal regions show a lower amplitude of the annual cycle and a later maximum (autumn) compared to inland (mountainous) regions. In addition, the annual and diurnal cycles of lightning attributes are analysed. The analysis reveals rising height of inner-cloud lightning during the year with a maximum in late summer.