Evaluation of TIGGE Ensemble Forecasts of Precipitation in Distinct Climate Regions in Iran

The application of numerical weather prediction(NWP) products is increasing dramatically. Existing reports indicate that ensemble predictions have better skill than deterministic forecasts. In this study, numerical ensemble precipitation forecasts in the TIGGE database were evaluated using deterministic, dichotomous(yes/no), and probabilistic techniques over Iran for the period 2008–16. Thirteen rain gauges spread over eight homogeneous precipitation regimes were selected for evaluation.The Inverse Distance Weighting and Kriging methods were adopted for interpolation of the prediction values, downscaled to the stations at lead times of one to three days. To enhance the forecast quality, NWP values were post-processed via Bayesian Model Averaging. The results showed that ECMWF had better scores than other products. However, products of all centers underestimated precipitation in high precipitation regions while overestimating precipitation in other regions. This points to a systematic bias in forecasts and demands application of bias correction techniques. Based on dichotomous evaluation,NCEP did better at most stations, although all centers overpredicted the number of precipitation events. Compared to those of ECMWF and NCEP, UKMO yielded higher scores in mountainous regions, but performed poorly at other selected stations.Furthermore, the evaluations showed that all centers had better skill in wet than in dry seasons. The quality of post-processed predictions was better than those of the raw predictions. In conclusion, the accuracy of the NWP predictions made by the selected centers could be classified as medium over Iran, while post-processing of predictions is recommended to improve the quality.     

Evaluation of probabilistic precipitation forecast determined from WRF forecasted amounts

This paper examines the connection between the probability of precipitation and forecast amounts from Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model runs over Central and West Africa. A one season period (June–September 2010) was used to investigate the quantitative precipitation forecast–probability relationship. The predictive capability of this relationship was then tested on an independent sample of data (June–September 2011); 2010 and 2011 were wet and dry years, respectively. The results show that rainfall is less likely to occur in those areas where the model indicates no precipitation than it is elsewhere in the domain. Rainfall is more likely to occur in those regions where precipitation is predicted, especially where the predicted precipitation amounts are largest. The probabilities of rainfall forecasts based on this relationship are found to possess skill as measured by relative operating characteristic curves, reliability diagrams, and Brier skill scores. Skillful forecasts from the technique exist throughout 24-h periods for which WRF output was available. The results suggest that this forecasting tool might assist forecasters throughout the season in a wide variety of weather events and not only in areas of difficult-to-forecast convective systems.     

Seasonal Prediction of Summer Precipitation over East Africa Using NUIST-CFS1.0

East Africa is particularly vulnerable to precipitation variability, as the livelihood of much of the population depends on rainfed agriculture. Seasonal forecasts of the precipitation anomalies, when skillful, can therefore improve implementation of coping mechanisms with respect to food security and water management. This study assesses the performance of Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology Climate Forecast System version 1.0(NUISTCFS1.0) on forecasting June–September(JJAS) seasonal precipitation anomalies over East Africa. The skill in predicting the JJAS mean precipitation initiated from 1 May for the period of 1982–2019 is evaluated using both deterministic and probabilistic verification metrics on grid cell and over six distinct clusters. The results show that NUIST-CFS1.0 captures the spatial pattern of observed seasonal precipitation climatology, albeit with dry and wet biases in a few parts of the region. The model has positive skill across a majority of Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, whereas it doesn’t exceed the skill of climatological forecasts in parts of Sudan and southeastern Ethiopia. Positive forecast skill is found over regions where the model shows better performance in reproducing teleconnections related to oceanic SST. The prediction performance of NUIST-CFS1.0 is found to be on a level that is potentially useful over a majority of East Africa.     

Western North Pacific Tropical Cyclone Intensity Guidance Evaluations Using an Alternative Verification Technique

In this study, six intensity forecast guidance techniques from the East China Regional Meteorological Center are verified for the 2008 and 2009 typhoon seasons through an alternative forecast verification technique. This technique is used to verify intensity forecasts if those forecasts call for a typhoon to dissipate or if the real typhoon dissipates. Using a contingency table, skill scores, chance, and probabilities are computed. It is shown that the skill of the six tropical cyclone intensity guidance techniques was highest for the 12-h forecasts, while the lowest skill of all the six models did not occur in 72-h forecasting. For both the 2008 and 2009 seasons, the average probabilities of the forecast intensity having a small error (6 m s-1) tended to decrease steadily. Some of the intensity forecasts had small skill scores, but the associated probabilities of the forecast intensity errors > 15 m s-1 were not the highest.     

基于随机物理过程扰动的BMJ积云参数化方案对降水集合预报的影响

基于ARPS模式和随机物理过程参数化扰动（stochastically perturbed parameterization）方法,通过10个2018年6—7月间的降水个例,讨论了针对BMJ积云降水参数化方案下不同参数化扰动方式对降水预报的影响。扰动方式包括扰动BMJ方案的温湿倾向和扰动BMJ方案的温湿参考廓线。试验的结果表明BMJ方案在华东区域的降水预报中存在湿偏差,即预报的降水事件多于相应的观测事件。这一偏差在系统性增加参考廓线湿度后仍然存在。BMJ方案对不同扰动方式的响应存在较大差异。扰动BMJ方案的温湿倾向对降水预报的影响较小,且集合离散度低。扰动BMJ方案的温湿参考廓线对降水预报影响显著,能够大幅增加集合离散度,其中对称的BMJ参考廓线扰动对预报技巧评分改进有限,原因是小雨的湿偏差有所增加,而非对称的BMJ参考廓线扰动（扰动均值大于1.0）能够有效提高预报技巧评分并降低湿偏差。此外,非对称扰动大幅改善了BMJ降水预报初期（0～3 h）的空间分布形态,并且改进了夜间降水预报的强度。非对称扰动评分较高的原因是减少了原BMJ方案在降水预报初期的的大范围虚假预报,避免了大气湿度的大范围下降,保障了预报后期的强降水预报能力。而BMJ方案温湿倾向量级较小则是造成倾向扰动方法效果不明显的重要原因。     

Current status of ENSO prediction skill in coupled ocean–atmosphere models

The overall skill of ENSO prediction in retrospective forecasts made with ten different coupled GCMs is investigated. The coupled GCM datasets of the APCC/CliPAS and DEMETER projects are used for four seasons in the common 22 years from 1980 to 2001. As a baseline, a dynamic-statistical SST forecast and persistence are compared. Our study focuses on the tropical Pacific SST, especially by analyzing the NINO34 index. In coupled models, the accuracy of the simulated variability is related to the accuracy of the simulated mean state. Almost all models have problems in simulating the mean and mean annual cycle of SST, in spite of the positive influence of realistic initial conditions. As a result, the simulation of the interannual SST variability is also far from perfect in most coupled models. With increasing lead time, this discrepancy gets worse. As one measure of forecast skill, the tier-1 multi-model ensemble (MME) forecasts of NINO3.4 SST have an anomaly correlation coefficient of 0.86 at the month 6. This is higher than that of any individual model as well as both forecasts based on persistence and those made with the dynamic-statistical model. The forecast skill of individual models and the MME depends strongly on season, ENSO phase, and ENSO intensity. A stronger El Niño is better predicted. The growth phases of both the warm and cold events are better predicted than the corresponding decaying phases. ENSO-neutral periods are far worse predicted than warm or cold events. The skill of forecasts that start in February or May drops faster than that of forecasts that start in August or November. This behavior, often termed the spring predictability barrier, is in part because predictions starting from February or May contain more events in the decaying phase of ENSO.     

Operational convective-scale data assimilation over Iran: A comparison between WRF and HARMONIE-AROME

The impact of applying three-dimensional variational data assimilation (3D-Var DA) on convective-scale forecasts is investigated by using two mesoscale models, the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF-ARW) and the Hirlam and Aladin Research Model On Non-hydrostatic-forecast Inside Europe (HARMONIE-AROME). One month (1 to 30 December 2013) of numerical experiments were conducted with these two models at 2.5 km horizontal resolution, in order to partly resolve convective phenomena, on the same domain over a mountainous area in Iran and neighboring areas. Furthermore, in order to estimate the domain specific background error statistics (BES) in convective scales, two months (1 November to 30 December 2017) of numerical experiments were carried out with both models by downscaling operational ECMWF forecasts. For setting the numerical experiments in an operational scenario, ECMWF operational forecast data were used as initial and lateral boundary conditions (ICs/LBCs). In order to examine the impact of data assimilation, the 3D-Var method in cycling mode was adopted and the forecasts were verified every 6 hours up to 36 hours for selected meteorological variables. In addition, 24 h accumulated precipitation forecasts were verified separately. Generally, the WRF and HARMONIE-AROME exhibit similar verification statistics for the selected forecast variables. The impact of DA on the numerical forecast shows some evidence of improvement in both models, and this effect decreases severely at longer lead times. Results from verifying the 24 h convective-scale precipitation forecasts from both models with and without DA suggest the superiority of the WRF model in forecasting more accurately the occurred precipitation over the simulation domain, even for the downscaling run.     

Evaluation of summer temperature and precipitation predictions from NCEP CFSv2 retrospective forecast over China

National Centers for Environmental Prediction recently upgraded its operational seasonal forecast system to the fully coupled climate modeling system referred to as CFSv2. CFSv2 has been used to make seasonal climate forecast retrospectively between 1982 and 2009 before it became operational. In this study, we evaluate the model’s ability to predict the summer temperature and precipitation over China using the 120 9-month reforecast runs initialized between January 1 and May 26 during each year of the reforecast period. These 120 reforecast runs are evaluated as an ensemble forecast using both deterministic and probabilistic metrics. The overall forecast skill for summer temperature is high while that for summer precipitation is much lower. The ensemble mean reforecasts have reduced spatial variability of the climatology. For temperature, the reforecast bias is lead time-dependent, i.e., reforecast JJA temperature become warmer when lead time is shorter. The lead time dependent bias suggests that the initial condition of temperature is somehow biased towards a warmer condition. CFSv2 is able to predict the summer temperature anomaly in China, although there is an obvious upward trend in both the observation and the reforecast. Forecasts of summer precipitation with dynamical models like CFSv2 at the seasonal time scale and a catchment scale still remain challenge, so it is necessary to improve the model physics and parameterizations for better prediction of Asian monsoon rainfall. The probabilistic skills of temperature and precipitation are quite limited. Only the spatially averaged quantities such as averaged summer temperature over the Northeast China of CFSv2 show higher forecast skill, of which is able to discriminate between event and non-event for three categorical forecasts. The potential forecast skill shows that the above and below normal events can be better forecasted than normal events. Although the shorter the forecast lead time is, the higher deterministic prediction skill appears, the probabilistic prediction skill does not increase with decreased lead time. The ensemble size does not play a significant role in affecting the overall probabilistic forecast skill although adding more members improves the probabilistic forecast skill slightly.     

2016-2020年广东省定量降水预报检验评估

对2016-2020年全球模式ECMWF和区域模式GZ_GRAPES、基于模式的解释应用和广东省气象局发布的定量降水预报（QPF）进行检验和评估。结果表明:ECMWF和GZ_GRAPES模式对一般性降水预报技巧在逐年提升,对大雨或以上的降水预报技巧的提升缓慢。GZ_GRAPES对大雨以上降水的预报技巧和定量降水预报的精细时空分布均优于ECMWF,区域模式更易预报出中小尺度降水信息。分类暴雨评定表明,模式对台风暴雨预报最好、锋面暴雨次之、季风暴雨预报最差。模式的暴雨预报落区偏小、低估明显,预报员通过经验订正明显提升了暴雨预报评分,其中季风暴雨的订正量最大,但存在预报范围偏大、空报较高的问题。基于ECMWF集合预报的解释应用与预报员的定量降水预报能力相当,降水越强,解释应用技术的优势越明显,但对季风暴雨也存在严重低估或漏报。目前降水精细时空分布、季风暴雨、极端性暴雨等依然靠预报员的经验订正为主,随着集合预报模式和区域高分辨率模式能力的提升,将预报经验客观化并与数值预报解释应用技术结合是提升QPF的一个方向。      

多模式降水分级最优化权重集成预报技术

为综合不同模式对不同量级降水的预报优势,设计一种全球模式与区域模式结合的降水分级最优化权重集成预报算法,集成经最优TS评分订正法（optimal threat score,OTS）订正后的欧洲中期天气预报中心降水预报产品（以下简称EC-OTS）和华东区域中尺度模式降水预报产品（以下简称SMS-OTS）。以泛长江区域（23°~39°N,101°~123°E）为研究范围,基于2018年不同降水量级的TS评分最优化确定SMS-OTS和EC-OTS在不同降水量级时的最优权重系数以及最优集成方案,并以2019年降水数据为独立样本进行预报试验。结果表明:对于最优权重系数,EC-OTS在低降水量级权重较大,随着降水量级的加大,SMS-OTS的权重也逐渐加大;最优集成方案为初始集成降水量预报取SMS-OTS,集成运算迭代3次;集成预报在几乎所有预报时效、所有降水量级的TS评分均高于EC-OTS和SMS-OTS,其平均绝对误差略小于EC-OTS,显著小于SMS-OTS;集成预报12 h累积降水预报的TS评分较省级预报员主观预报高-0.009~0.041,24 h累积降水预报的TS评分较国家气象中心预报员主观预报高0.009~0.023。     

持续性强降水的区域模式动力中期预报研究

持续性强降水及其次生灾害给人民的生产和生活造成严重影响, 延伸其模式动力预报能力对防灾、减灾具有重要意义。随着对持续性强降水过程形成机理及模式动力中期预报认识的不断提高, 以减小模式初始条件误差、边界条件误差以及内场预报误差为目标提出了一系列动力中期预报技术方法, 主要包括:针对边界条件提出低通滤波技术方案, 改进了5 d以上的环流及降水预报; 针对模式预报内场进行谱逼近技术试验, 对提前3—7 d的小雨以上量级的降水预报改进明显; 针对初始条件进行多尺度混合更新初值技术预报试验, 融合全球预报的大尺度场及区域模式预报的中小尺度场进行15 d预报, 明显提高了50及100 mm以上的持续性累积降水预报时效。      

基于因子分析的广东省短时强降水预报模型及其业务试验

利用每天4次0.125°×0.125°的ECMWF-Interim再分析资料和广东省2009—2018年地面气象站逐时雨量观测的短时强降水数据集,针对广东不同季节、不同地域的短时强降水,以提高命中率同时控制虚警率为目的,提出基于显著性和敏感性评价的物理量优选和因子分析法,用于构建分期、分区的广东短时强降水概率预报模型....     

中国区域降水偏差订正的初步研究

基于中国气象局公共气象服务中心提供的降水预报资料,利用频率匹配法和阈值法对2015年全年的降水预报进行偏差订正并对订正后的结果进行检验。结果表明:(1)偏差订正可显著减少集成系统降水预报的小雨空报现象,改善"有雨或无雨"的定性预报性能,提高集成系统的晴雨预报准确率。(2)订正后降水量级大小更接近实况降水,并且集成系统预报的平均绝对误差和面积偏差(干偏差或湿偏差)均有所降低。(3)偏差订正对降水预报的改善程度与系统本身预报性能有关,系统本身预报误差越大,订正效果越好。     

MULTIMODEL CONSENSUS FORECASTING OF LOW TEMPERATURE AND ICY WEATHER OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN CHINA IN EARLY 2008

Based on the daily mean temperature and 24-h accumulated total precipitation over central and southern China, the features and the possible causes of the extreme weather events with low temperature and icing conditions,which occurred in the southern part of China during early 2008, are investigated in this study. In addition, multimodel consensus forecasting experiments are conducted by using the ensemble forecasts of ECMWF, JMA, NCEP and CMA taken from the TIGGE archives. Results show that more than a third of the stations in the southern part of China were covered by the extremely abundant precipitation with a 50-a return period, and extremely low temperature with a 50-a return period occurred in the Guizhou and western Hunan province as well. For the 24- to 216-h surface temperature forecasts, the bias-removed multimodel ensemble mean with running training period(R-BREM) has the highest forecast skill of all individual models and multimodel consensus techniques. Taking the RMSEs of the ECMWF 96-h forecasts as the criterion, the forecast time of the surface temperature may be prolonged to 192 h over the southeastern coast of China by using the R-BREM technique. For the sprinkle forecasts over central and southern China, the R-BREM technique has the best performance in terms of threat scores(TS) for the 24- to 192-h forecasts except for the 72-h forecasts among all individual models and multimodel consensus techniques. For the moderate rain, the forecast skill of the R-BREM technique is superior to those of individual models and multimodel ensemble mean.     

Evaluation of 2-m temperature and precipitation products of the Climate Forecast System version 2 over Iran

Using a continuous multi-decadal simulations over the period 1981–2010, subseasonal to seasonal simulations of the Climate Forecast System version 2 (CFSv2) over Iran against the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) dataset are evaluated. CFSv2 shows cold biases over northern hillsides of the Alborz Mountains with the Mediterranean climate and warm biases over northern regions of the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea with a dry climate. Magnitude of the model bias for 2-m temperature over different regions of Iran varies by season, with the least bias in temperate seasons of spring and autumn, and the largest bias in summer. The model bias decreases as temporal averaging period increases from seasonal to annual. The forecast generally produces dry and wet biases over dry and wet regions of Iran, respectively. In general, 2-m temperature over Iran is better captured than precipitation, but the prediction skill of precipitation is generally high over western Iran. Averaged over Iran, observations indicated that 2-m temperature has been gradually increasing during the studied period, with a rate of approximately 0.5 °C per decade, and the upward trend is well simulated by CFSv2. Averaged over Iran, both observations and simulation results indicated that precipitation has been decreasing in spring, with averaged decreasing trends of 0.8 mm (observed) and 1.7 mm (simulated) per season each year during the period 1981–2010. Observations indicated that the maximum increasing trend of 2-m temperature has occurred over western Iran (nearly 0.7 °C per decade), while the maximum decreasing trend of annual precipitation has occurred over western and parts of southern Iran (nearly 45 to 50 mm per decade).     

用短期降水预报做洪水预报与调度的应用试验

利用2003～2007年潘家口水库流域10场较大降水及其对应的河北省气象局MM5的面雨量预报数据,采用降水预报格点数据与水文洪水预报耦合的方法进行水库的洪水预报和调度,增长了水文洪水预报的预见期,在不增加水库工程投资,不增加上下游和工程风险的前提下,在汛期实施风险调度,以此发挥水库在洪水资源化调度中作用,解决防洪与蓄水的矛盾.     

国外气象业务中心核心预报能力的比较和发展

基于文献和世界气象组织(WMO)世界气象中心以及部分国家气象中心网站的信息,梳理了世界主要气象业务中心的全球天气预报模式预报指标,分析了当前领先气象业务中心的预报水平,并对反映其核心预报能力的天气和气候预报技巧指标进行了比较。在对过去10多年来预报技巧进步趋势分析的基础上,对领先气象业务中心在2025和2035年可能达到的预报指标进行了推测。尽管未来各主要气象业务中心预报系统的提升速率将明显放缓,但是可预报时效将会大大提高:到2025和2035年,500 hPa位势高度的预报时效将分别提高至8.5和10.5 d,高分辨率模式的预报时效将分别提升至7.6和8.4 d,而多种模式要素预报的有效性将全面接近并可能进入10 d。天气型转变预测和MJO预测是反映气候预测的两个核心指标。针对Ni?o 3.4海温距平的未来3和6个月预测,相关性未来分别可能达到93%和86%(2025年)以及96%和90%(2035年),而气候模式对MJO的预报时效在2025年将可能达到49 d。新预报量的设计和业务化、下一代数值预报模式以及资料同化技术的研发等,将成为数值天气预报领域发展的新趋势。     

Intercomparison and Evaluation of Precipitation Forecasts for MAP Seasons 1995 and 1996

Summary  The precipitation forecasts of four operational numerical weather prediction models over the Alpine region are evaluated and intercompared for two periods of interest to the Mesoscale Alpine Programme (MAP). The new analysis of Alpine rainfall of Frei and Scha?r (1998) is used to validate the models. It is found that the models have a tendency to overestimate the total precipitation and the frequency of intense rain events over high orography. The skill scores show good consistency between models, except for the ability to forecast light rain or heavy rain events. The partition between convective and stratiform rainfall is rather variable between the models. Received March 15, 1999/Revised July 12, 1999     

S2S气候模式产品在黄河流域径流预测中的应用

次季节气候和径流预测是主动减灾的一个关键。基于国家气候中心第三代气候模式系统的次季节到季节模式(CMA-CPS v3 S2S)的气候预测信息和HBV水文模型,应用集合预测技术研发了未来40 d时段平均径流量和时段内极端干旱概率预测模型,应用平均方差技巧评分、距平相关系数、相对操作特征曲线面积、布赖尔技巧评分开展了回报检验,并检验了2021年黄河流域径流异常预测效果。结果表明,所建模型能够以较高技巧预测黄河流域未来40 d时段平均的径流量,且表现出枯季预测技巧高、湿季技巧低的季节差异;对秋末11月和冬季3个月(12月、1月、2月)的极端干旱概率预测也有较高技巧。对于2021年5—8月黄河上中游干旱和9—10月的秋汛,该方法正确预测了除6月、9月外的其他4个月的径流异常方向,但异常程度与实况存在差异。对径流预测水平影响因素的进一步分析表明,S2S降水预测能力影响径流预测水平,特别是丰水期的径流预测,但还有降水之外的其他因素影响径流预测技巧。     

Operative Scheme for the Short-range Complex Forecasting of Surface Air Temperature and Humidity

The statistical scheme is proposed for the forecast of surface air temperature and humidity using operative weather forecasts with 3–5-day lead time from the best forecasting hydrodynamic models as well as the archives of forecasts of these models and observational data from 2800 weather stations of Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. The output of the scheme includes the forecasts of air temperature for the standard observation moments with the period of 6 hours and extreme temperatures with the lead times of 12–120 hours. The accuracy of temperature and humidity forecasts for the period from July 2014 till June 2017 is much higher than that for the forecasts of original hydrodynamic models. The skill scores for extreme temperature forecasts based on the proposed method are compared with the similar results of the Weather Element Computation (WEC) forecasting scheme and forecasts by weathermen.