北半球冬季阻塞环流与NAO之间的关系

首先根据Oman关于北大西洋涛动（NAO）指数冬季平均值的年际变化挑选出强NAO年,然后利用NCEP/NCAR逐日再分析资料,分析了在强NAO年北半球冬季阻塞发生频率和生命期的统计特征,最后通过对强NAO年大气斜压性进行冬季气候平均,合成得到了三个区域（北大西洋、欧洲和北太平洋）对流层平均大气斜压性随纬度的分布情况。结果发现：北大西洋在NAO负位相时下游阻塞发生频率更高,持续时间更长;NAO正位相则有利于欧洲长生命阻塞的发生和维持;北太平洋阻塞在NAO负位相发生频率明显更高,在NAO正位相阻塞的平均持续时间更长。大气斜压性随纬度的分布与阻塞的发生有较好的对应关系,过强的大气斜压性会抑制阻塞的发生。     

北大西洋涛动指数变化与北半球冬季阻塞活动

线性回归分析表明北大西洋涛动(NAO)主要与大西洋、欧洲及乌拉尔山地区阻塞的频率和强度的变化存在显著相关关系.在NAO负位相时期阻塞活动在大西洋地区较为频繁且强度较强,正位相时期大西洋地区阻塞活动减少,强度减弱,而欧洲阻塞加强,频率增加,同时乌拉尔山地区的阻塞活动也显著减少.NAO正指数的增强和减弱对应于大西洋和欧洲阻...     

乌拉尔山阻塞与北大西洋涛动的关系及其对中国冬季天气的影响

通过对2008年1-2月中国南方一次严重低温雨雪冰冻天气的分析,发现期间的两次乌拉尔山阻塞过程都对其有重要影响,且均伴随着北大西洋涛动正位相事件(North Atlantic Oscillation~+,NAO~+),但由于其发展演变位置的不同对中国的温度和降水造成了截然不同的影响。因此利用ERA-Interim再分析资料计算了1979-2014年冬季乌拉尔山阻塞的平均活动中心,将NAO~+相关乌拉尔山阻塞根据位置变化分为偏北型、偏南型、偏东型和偏西型四类阻塞,研究其对中国冬季天气的影响。结果表明,偏南型和偏东型的乌拉尔山阻塞更容易引起中国冬季的异常降温;研究还发现与NAO~+相关的乌拉尔山阻塞的发展演变总是滞后NAO~+事件3~6天,其位置的变化主要受前期NAO~+期间的纬向风异常分布及急流位置和强度的影响;另外,对1979-2014年冬季乌拉尔山阻塞和NAO的统计结果显示,绝大部分的乌拉尔山阻塞发生时伴随了NAO事件,NAO~+期间比NAO负位相(North Atlantic Oscillation-,NAO-)期间更容易产生乌拉尔山阻塞,但伴随NAO-事件的阻塞强度更大,引起中国冬季的降温也更明显;进一步研究表明,单一的NAO事件期间引起中国冬季温度的变化非常微弱,因此,乌拉尔山阻塞可以作为NAO事件影响中国寒冷天气的媒介。     

太阳活动对NAO与冬季中东急流轴线位置之间关系的调制作用

利用NCEP/NCAR大气环流再分析资料和NOAA提供的太阳黑子资料,讨论了冬季中东急流年际变化特征,并探讨了太阳活动对北大西洋涛动(North Atlantic Oscillation,NAO)与冬季中东急流轴线位置之间关系的调制作用。结果表明:冬季中东急流的轴线位置表现出显著的年际变化特征,在空间上主要表现了中东急流东西两侧轴线南北移动呈反向变化(Middle East Jet Axis shift east-west Out-phase,MEJAO)型和中东急流轴线南北移动呈整体一致的变化特征(Middle East Jet Axis shift In-phase,MEJAI)型。另外,在太阳活动强时期,NAO(North Atlantic Oscillation,北大西洋涛动)的空间结构更靠近北大西洋东侧的大陆上,欧洲大陆北侧与地中海地区出现相反的SLP(Sea Level Pressure,海平面气压)异常,通过Ekman抽吸作用形成次级环流,在对流层高层地中海地区易出现辐合异常,并激发Rossby波波列,在伊朗高原上空会形成位势高度异常,从而中东急流东部轴线南北侧西风呈相反的变化。同时,在对流层高层欧洲大陆南侧形成的位势高度异常,也会使得中东急流西部轴线北侧西风出现异常。中东急流东、西部西风异常的空间结构呈反相变化,即出现了MEJAO型。而在太阳活动弱时期,NAO的空间结构主要局限在北大西洋地区,不易形成地中海辐合异常,NAO与MEJAO型的关系不密切。因此,太阳活动对NAO与MEJAO型之间的关系存在着调制作用。     

海洋环流对全球增暖趋势的调制：基于FGOALS-s2的数值模拟研究

在工业革命以来全球长期增暖趋势背景下,全球平均表面气温还同时表现出年代际变化特征,二者叠加在一起使得全球平均气温在某些年份增暖相对停滞(如1999～2008年)或者增暖相对较快(如1980～1998年).利用中国科学院大气物理研究所大气科学和地球流体力学数值模拟国家重点实验室(LASG)发展的耦合气候模式FGOALS-s2历史气候和典型路径浓度(RCPs)模拟试验结果研究了可能造成全球增暖的年代际停滞及加速现象的原因,特别是海洋环流对全球变暖趋势的调制作用.该模式模拟的全球平均气温与观测类似,即在长期增暖趋势之上,还叠加了显著的年代际变化.对全球平均能量收支分析表明,模拟的气温年代际变化与大气顶净辐射通量无关,意味着年代际表面气温变化可能与能量在气候系统内部的重新分配有关.通过对全球增暖加速和停滞时期大气和海洋环流变化的合成分析及回归分析,发现全球表面气温与大部分海区海表温度(SST)均表现出几乎一致的变化特征.在增暖停滞时期,SST降低,更多热量进入海洋次表层和深层,使其温度增加;而在增暖加速时期,更多热量停留在表层,使得大部分海区SST显著增加,次表层海水和深海相对冷却.进一步分析表明,热带太平洋表层和次表层海温年代际变化主要是由于副热带—热带经圈环流(STC)的年代际变化所致,然后热带太平洋海温异常可以通过风应力和热通量强迫作用引起印度洋、大西洋海温的年代际变化.在此过程中,海洋环流变化起到了重要作用,例如印度尼西亚贯穿流(ITF)年代际异常对南印度洋次表层海温变化起到关键作用,而大西洋经圈翻转环流(AMOC)则能直接影响到北大西洋深层海温变化.     

太平洋年代际涛动与云南夏季气温的年代际变化

云南夏季气温具有年代际变化特征,近年来一系列的云南夏季气温异常偏高事件是年代际变化的体现.其中云南夏季气温在准50年年代际变率上与春季太平洋年代际涛动(PDO)指数具有较好的正相关关系,夏季西太平洋副热带高压西伸脊点位置与前两者在年代际上都具有较好的负相关关系.分析认为,可能是由于当春季PDO进入暖(冷)位相阶段时,中东太平洋海温距平持续偏高(低),夏季西太平洋副热带高压位置偏西(东),导致云南夏季不(容)易出现云雨天气,从而进入了气温偏高(低)的年代际时期的关系.春季PDO的变化是夏季云南气温年际变化的重要背景.     

20世纪两次全球增暖事件的比较

20世纪20年代和70年代全球出现了两次突变增暖,本文分析比较了这两次全球增暖的起源地,空间分布特点,影响范围,以及北半球增温和降温最大地区的气温变化与其相对应的大气环流变化的联系等.发现,第一次全球增暖始于北半球新地岛西北、冰岛及以北的极地地区,主要增暖区在北大西洋、格陵兰岛、冰岛和北半球中、高纬大陆地区,主要增暖季节是夏季.第二次全球增暖最早可能始于南半球南印度洋海盆及南极大陆地区,增暖中心有明显向北半球方向移动的倾向并广泛影响到全球热带、副热带海洋,没有明显的区域和季节增暖差异;北半球第二次增暖比南半球约晚10年,主要增温区在东亚大陆和北美西部,主要增暖季节在冬季.分析还发现,20世纪北半球增暖最强的东亚大陆、北美西北部和降温显著的冰岛、格陵兰岛、北大西洋以及中北太平洋等地的气温变化与其相应的大气环流系统的异常变化关系密切.     

无锡极端气温事件的气候分析

为了解气候增暖情况下,无锡地区极端最高和最低气温的气候特征,用阈值检测方法对无锡市1959-2007年的日最高气温、日最低气温进行了研究,分析了极端事件的发生规律,得出主要结论:(1)从年代际看,不论是日最高气温或日最低气温,2001-2007年偏高事件最多,偏低事件最少.(2)最低气温从1980s初开始稳定上升.(3)在3、5、7、12月比较容易出现异常的气温.月内异常气温出现次数多少主要与季节更替和天气系统的转换有关.(4)日最低气温不论冬春夏秋,都是明显升高.日最高气温冬、春、秋季呈升高趋势,而夏季震荡加大.即在夏季,日最高气温偏高的事件增多,日最高气温偏低的事件也增多.     

印度半岛热力变化对亚洲季风环流异常的影响

海陆热力差异的季节性变化是季风产生的原始驱动力,因此海洋和大陆任何一方的变化必然会影响季风环流出现异常。本文探讨了欧亚大陆高、低层气温、南亚大陆和印度洋之间海陆热力差异的变化特征,发现南亚大陆的印度半岛区域下垫面的季节性增暖出现最早,其增暖从春季就开始出现,比对流层上层增暖偏早约两个月,相应的低层经向海陆温度梯度由冬季型转为夏季型最早的区域出现在80°E附近。进一步分析了印度半岛下垫面热力异常的变化特征及其与季风环流异常的关系,初步揭示了南亚区域高、低层气温变化的相互联系,发现印度半岛下垫面的迅速增温引起了大气的强感热加热,进而影响高、低层季风环流的异常变化。结果表明,春末夏初印度半岛暖下垫面的加热作用有利于亚洲夏季型季风环流建立偏早,同时也有利于亚洲夏季季风环流的加强,而冷下垫面的作用则相反。     

陆面热力异常与东亚夏季中纬度气旋年代际变化的联系

基于欧洲中期预报中心的再分析数据ERA-interim,利用统计学方法分析了1979—2013年期间东亚中纬度地区气旋生成频率和陆面热力异常的年代际变化及两者的可能联系。结果表明,东亚中纬度地区存在气旋活动频繁的气旋源地,该地区的温带气旋生成频率具有明显的年代际变化,1990年之前气旋生成频率偏多,1990s至今偏少,而且东亚中纬度地区陆面热力异常的变化有明显的年代际增暖信号;进一步的分析发现,东亚夏季中纬度气旋活动的年代际变化与陆面异常异常之间存在密切的联系,东亚中纬度地区陆面年代际增暖,是引起温度气旋活动年代际减弱的一个重要原因。由于陆面增暖的非均匀性,在50°N以北存在一个影响中纬度气旋生成频率的关键区,关键区陆面的年代际异常增暖,导致气旋源地温度经向梯度减弱,大气斜压性随之减弱,从而使得气旋生成频率年代际减少。     

Decadal climate variability in the Mediterranean region: roles of large-scale forcings and regional processes

We analyze decadal climate variability in the Mediterranean region using observational datasets over the period 1850–2009 and a regional climate model simulation for the period 1960–2000, focusing in particular on the winter (DJF) and summer (JJA) seasons. Our results show that decadal variability associated with the winter and summer manifestations of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO and SNAO respectively) and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) significantly contribute to decadal climate anomalies over the Mediterranean region during these seasons. Over 30% of decadal variance in DJF and JJA precipitation in parts of the Mediterranean region can be explained by NAO and SNAO variability respectively. During JJA, the AMO explains over 30% of regional surface air temperature anomalies and Mediterranean Sea surface temperature anomalies, with significant influence also in the transition seasons. In DJF, only Mediterranean SST still significantly correlates with the AMO while regional surface air temperature does not. Also, there is no significant NAO influence on decadal Mediterranean surface air temperature anomalies during this season. A simulation with the PROTHEUS regional ocean–atmosphere coupled model is utilized to investigate processes determining regional decadal changes during the 1960–2000 period, specifically the wetter and cooler 1971–1985 conditions versus the drier and warmer 1986–2000 conditions. The simulation successfully captures the essence of observed decadal changes. Model set-up suggests that AMO variability is transmitted to the Mediterranean/European region and the Mediterranean Sea via atmospheric processes. Regional feedbacks involving cloud cover and soil moisture changes also appear to contribute to observed changes. If confirmed, the linkage between Mediterranean temperatures and the AMO may imply a certain degree of regional decadal climate predictability. The AMO and other decadal influences outlined here should be considered along with those from long-term increases in greenhouse gas forcings when making regional climate out-looks for the Mediterranean 10–20?years out.     

Physical Mechanism of the Impacts of the Tropical Atlantic Sea Surface Temperature on the Decadal Change of the Summer North Atlantic Oscillation

In this study,physical mechanism of the impacts of the tropical Atlantic sea surface temperature(SST)on decadal change of the summer North Atlantic Oscillation(SNAO)was explored using an atmospheric general circulation model(AGCM)developed at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics(ICTP).The simulation results indicate that the decadal warming of the SST over the tropical Atlantic after the late 1970s could have significantly enhanced the convection over the region.This enhanced convection would have strengthened the local meridional circulation over the Eastern Atlantic-North Africa-Western Europe region,exciting a meridional teleconnection.This teleconnection might have brought the signal of the tropical Atlantic SST to the Extratropics,consequently activating the variability of the eastern part of the SNAO southern center,which led to an eastward shift of the SNAO southern center around the late 1970s.Such physical processes are highly consistent with the previous observations.     

Do European Blocking Events Precede North Atlantic Oscillation Events?

Using a two-dimensional blocking index, the cause and effect relationship between European blocking (EB) events and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) events is investigated. It is shown that the EB event frequency is enhanced over Northern (Southern) Europe for negative (positive) phases of the NAO. Enhanced EB events over Northern Europe precede the establishment of negative phase NAO (NAO-) events, while the enhanced frequency of EB events over Southern Europe lags positive phase NAO (NAO+) events. The physical explanation for why enhanced EB events over Northern (Southern) Europe lead (lag) NAO- (NAO+) events is also provided. It is found that the lead-lag relationship between EB events in different regions and the phase of NAO events can be explained in terms of the different latitudinal distribution of zonal wind associated with the different phases of NAO events. For NAO+ events, the self-maintained eastward displacement of intensified midlatitude positive height anomalies owing to the intensified zonal wind can enhance the frequency of EB events over Southern Europe, thus supporting a standpoint that EB events over Southern Europe lag NAO+ events. Over Northern Europe, EB events lead NAO- events because NAO- events arise from the self-maintained westward migration of intensified blocking anticyclones due to the weakened zonal wind in higher latitudes.     

An Asymmetric Spatiotemporal Connection between the Euro-Atlantic Blocking within the NAO Life Cycle and European Climates

This paper examines an asymmetric spatiotemporal connection and climatic impact between the winter atmospheric blocking activity in the Euro-Atlantic sector and the life cycle of the North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO) during the period 1950–2012. Results show that, for positive NAO(NAO+) events, the instantaneous blocking(IB) frequency exhibits an enhancement along the southwest–northeast(SW–NE) direction from the eastern Atlantic to northeastern Europe(SW–NE pattern, hereafter), which is particularly evident during the NAO+decaying stage. By contrast, for negative NAO(NAO-)events, the IB frequency exhibits a spatially asymmetric southeast–northwest(SE–NW) distribution from central Europe to the North Atlantic and Greenland(SE–NW pattern, hereafter). Moreover, for NAO-(NAO+) events, the most marked decrease(increase) in the surface air temperature(SAT) in winter over northern Europe is in the decaying stage. For NAO+events, the dominant positive temperature and precipitation anomalies exhibit the SW–NE-oriented distribution from western to northeastern Europe, which is parallel to the NAO+-related blocking frequency distribution. For NAO-events, the dominant negative temperature anomaly is in northern and central Europe, whereas the dominant positive precipitation anomaly is distributed over southern Europe along the SW–NE direction. In addition, the downward infrared radiation controlled by the NAO's circulation plays a crucial role in the SAT anomaly distribution. It is further shown that the NAO's phase can act as an asymmetric impact on the European climate through producing this asymmetric spatiotemporal connection with the Euro-Atlantic IB frequency.     

Response of Northern Hemisphere storm tracks to Indian-western Pacific Ocean warming in atmospheric general circulation models

With 40 years integration output of two atmospheric general circulation models (GAMIL/IAP and HadAM3/UKMO) forced with identical prescribed seasonally-varying sea surface temperature, this study examines the effect of the observed Indian-western Pacific Ocean (IWP) warming on the Northern Hemisphere storm tracks. Both models indicate that the observed IWP warming tends to cause both the North Pacific storm track (NPST) and the North Atlantic storm track (NAST) to move northward. Such a consistent effect on the two storm tracks is closely associated with the changes in the low-level atmospheric baroclinicity, high-level jet stream and upper-level geopotential height. The IWP warming can excite a wavelike circum-global teleconnection in the geopotential height that gives rise to an anticyclonic anomaly over the midlatitude North Pacific and a positive-phase NAO anomaly over the North Atlantic. These geopotential height anomalies tend to enhance upper-level zonal westerly winds north of the climatological jet axes and increase low-level baroclinicity and eddy growth rates, thus favoring transient eddy more active north of the climatological storm track axes, responsible for the northward shift of the both storm tracks. The IWP warming-induced northward shift of the NAST is quite similar to the observed, suggesting that the IWP warming can be one of the key factors to cause decadal northward shift of the NAST since the 1980s. However, the IWP warming-induced northward shift of the NPST is completely opposite to the observed, implying that the observed southward shift of the NPST since the 1980s would be primarily attributed to other reasons, although the IWP warming can have a cancelling effect against those reasons.     

Physical mechanisms of European winter snow cover variability and its relationship to the NAO

Annual snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere has decreased in the past two decades, an effect associated with global warming. The regional scale changes of snow cover during winter, however, vary significantly from one region to another. In the present study, snow cover variability over Europe and its connection to other atmospheric variables was investigated using Cyclostationary Empirical Orthogonal Function (CSEOF) analysis. The evolution of atmospheric variables related to each CSEOF mode of snow cover variability was derived via regression analysis in CSEOF space. CSEOF analysis clearly shows that the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is related to European snow cover, particularly in January and February. A negative NAO phase tends to result in a snow cover increases, whereas a positive NAO phase results in snow cover decreases. The temporal changes in the connection between the NAO and European snow cover are explained by time-dependent NAO-related temperature anomalies. If the NAO phase is negative, the temperature is lower in Europe and snow cover increases; by contrast, when the NAO phase is positive, the temperature is higher and snow cover decreases. Temperature and snow cover variations in Europe are associated with the thermal advection by anomalous wind by NAO. CSEOF analysis also shows an abrupt increase of snow cover in December and January and a decrease in February and March since the year 2000, approximately. This abrupt change is associated with sub-seasonal variations of atmospheric circulation in the study region.     

Winter cloudiness variability in the Mediterranean region and its connection to atmospheric circulation features

The temporal and spatial variability of winter total cloud cover in southern Europe and the Mediterranean region and its connection to the synoptic-scale features of the general atmospheric circulation are examined for the period 1950–2005, by using the diagnostic and intrinsic NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis data sets. At first, S-mode factor analysis is applied to the time series of winter cloud cover, revealing five factors that correspond to the main modes of inter-annual variability of cloudiness. The linkage between each of the five factors and the atmospheric circulation is examined by constructing the 500 hPa and 1,000 hPa geopotential height anomaly patterns that correspond to the highest/lowest factor scores. Then, k-means cluster analysis is applied to the factor scores time series, classifying the 56 years into six distinct clusters that describe the main modes of spatial distribution of cloudiness. Eventually, canonical correlation analysis is applied to the factor scores time series of: (1) 500 and 1,000 hPa geopotential heights over Europe and the North Atlantic Ocean and (2) total cloud cover over southern Europe and the Mediterranean, in order to define the main centers of action in the middle and the lower troposphere that control winter cloudiness variability in the various sub-regions of the area under study. Three statistically significant canonical pairs are revealed, defining the main modes of atmospheric circulation forcing on cloudiness variability. North Atlantic oscillation and European blocking activity modulate the highest percentage of cloudiness variability. A statistically significant negative trend of winter cloudiness is found for central and southern Europe and the Mediterranean region. This negative trend is associated with the corresponding positive trends in NAO and European blocking activity.     

Summer heat waves over western Europe 1880–2003, their relationship to large-scale forcings and predictability

We investigate the large-scale forcing and teleconnections between atmospheric circulation (sea level pressure, SLP), sea surface temperatures (SSTs), precipitation and heat wave events over western Europe using a new dataset of 54 daily maximum temperature time series. Forty four of these time series have been homogenised at the daily timescale to ensure that the presence of inhomogeneities has been minimised. The daily data have been used to create a seasonal index of the number of heat waves. Using canonical correlation analysis (CCA), heat waves over western Europe are shown to be related to anomalous high pressure over Scandinavia and central western Europe. Other forcing factors such as Atlantic SSTs and European precipitation, the later as a proxy for soil moisture, a known factor in strengthening land–atmosphere feedback processes, are also important. The strength of the relationship between summer SLP anomalies and heat waves is improved (from 35%) to account for around 46% of its variability when summer Atlantic and Mediterranean SSTs and summer European precipitation anomalies are included as predictors. This indicates that these predictors are not completely collinear rather that they each have some contribution to accounting for summer heat wave variability. However, the simplicity and scale of the statistical analysis masks this complex interaction between variables. There is some useful predictive skill of summer heat waves using multiple lagged predictors. A CCA using preceding winter North Atlantic SSTs and preceding January to May Mediterranean total precipitation results in significant hindcast (1972–2003) Spearman rank correlation skill scores up to 0.55 with an average skill score over the domain equal to 0.28 ± 0.28. In agreement with previous studies focused on mean summer temperature, there appears to be some predictability of heat wave events on the decadal scale from the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), although the long-term global mean temperature is also well related to western European heat waves. Combining these results with the observed positive trends in summer continental European SLP, North Atlantic SSTs and indications of a decline in European summer precipitation then possibly these long-term changes are also related to increased heat wave occurrence and it is important that the physical processes controlling these changes be more fully understood.     

Origin of extreme summers in Europe: the Indo-Pacific connection

Extreme summers of Europe are usually affected by blocking highs that shift between Western and Eastern Europe to cause regional variations in the surface temperature anomalies. Generally, the blocking high induces a regional temperature dipole with poles of warm and cold anomalies on two sides of Europe. The extreme summers of Western Europe, when the Eastern Europe is colder than normal, are usually associated with the teleconnections arising from positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) events. In contrast, analogous warm events in Eastern Europe are usually associated with La Niña. The western Pacific conditions that prevail during the turnaround phase of El Niño to La Niña are found to be responsible for developing the extreme Eastern Europe events. The role of North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is not blatant for the Eastern Europe summers though it has a weaker influence on Western Europe summers for which IOD plays a dominant role: The seasonal July–August correlation for Western Europe temperature with IOD index is higher than that with the NAO index. The teleconnections for both types of extremes are associated with a Rossby wavetrain that travel around the globe to reach the Europe. This circumglobal teleconnection is largely determined by the location of the tropospheric heat source. For Western Europe warm events, major contributions come from the atmospheric convections/diabatic heating over northwest India and southern Pakistan. For the Eastern Europe events, the convections over northwest Pacific, south of Japan, are found to project the signals on to the mid-latitude wave-guide. These patterns of teleconnection are so robust that those can be seen on daily to seasonal time-scales of atmospheric anomalies. The wavetrains are found to set-in a couple of weeks prior to the development of blocking highs and extreme hot conditions over Europe.     

Impacts of large-scale teleconnections on climate variability over Southwest Asia

The atmospheric low frequency variability at a regional or global scale is represented by teleconnection. Using monthly dataset of the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) for the period 1971–2016, the impacts of four large-scale teleconnection patterns on the climate variability over Southwest Asia are investigated. The large-scale features include the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the East Atlantic (EA) teleconnection patterns, as well as western tropical Indian Ocean (WTIO) sea surface temperature anomaly index. Results indicate that ENSO and EA are the first leading modes that explain variation of Southwest Asian precipitation, with positive (negative) anomalies during El Niño (La Niña) and the negative (positive) phase of EA. Variation of Southwest Asian near-surface temperature is most strongly related to WTIO index, with above-average (below-average) temperature during the positive (negative) phase of WTIO index, although the negative (positive) phase of NAO also favours the above-average (below-average) temperature. On the other hand, temperature (precipitation) over Southwest Asia shows the least response to ENSO (WTIO). ENSO and EA individually explain 13 percent annual variance of precipitation, while WTIO index explains 36 percent annual variance of near-surface temperature over Southwest Asia. Analysis of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) reanalysis Interim (ERA-Interim) data indicated establishments of negative (positive) geopotential height anomalies in the middle troposphere over Southwest Asia during El Niño (La Niña) or the negative (positive) phase of NAO, EA and WTIO. The response of precipitation variability over Southwest Asia to NAO is opposite to that expected from the geopotential height anomalies, but the correlation between precipitation and NAO is not statistically significant. Due to predictability of large-scale teleconnections, results of this study are encouraging for improvement of the state-of-the-art seasonal prediction of the climate over Southwest Asia.