Drought prediction

Drought prediction has been an age-old problem, but in more recent times the magnitude of the Sahelian drought has brought into focus the need to improve the techniques for predicting such droughts with some measure of accuracy. Prom the present state of knowledge, drought prediction is difficult, if not impossible. Two major approaches appear to be prominent in the search for appropriate techniques. These include the use of teleconnections and the development of numerical models.Essentially, time-lagged teleconnections rely on the assumption that changes induced in any one area of the world may produce changes elsewhere on a world-wide scale, though time-lagged. The 1972-73 El Nino off the west coast of South America is a good case in point. The development of numerical models which allow the incorporation of not only climatic factors but also man's impact on the natural environment, offers some ray of hope that the general circulation models (GCMs) may help to improve the techniques of drought prediction.     

Operational regional prediction

Summary Regional operational prediction requires the development, implementation and steady improvement of a modelling system which comprises different components like the data assimilation scheme, numerical forecast model, postprocessing and application modules as well as packages for monitoring, diagnostics and verification. The text highlights the impact of some of those components like lateral boundary conditions, data assimilation and statistical postprocessing on the quality of operational regional prediction systems and proposes some important research directions for an improvement of the systems from the operational point of view.With 14 Figures     

国内外雾预报技术研究进展

大雾是引起低能见度的主要天气现象.提高雾的预报技术水平是确保交通安全的重要措施.从统计和数值预报两个方面,回顾了过去几十年来国内外在雾预报技术上的主要研究进展,并总结了各种方法的特点及存在的缺陷.在某些情形下,新统计方法的应用提高了雾的预报准确率,但仍然无法摆脱统计方法本身的缺陷.相比较而言,数值模式在大雾预报方面具有更广泛的应用和更大的潜力.在目前的计算机水平下,使用高分辨率的一维雾模式与中尺度天气模式相结合的方法,在一定程度上可以提高雾的预报准确率,该方法在大雾易发区的机场及高速公路沿线具有重要的应用价值.随着计算机能力的不断提高,包含大雾形成和演变的各种复杂过程、具有先进资料同化过程的高分辨率三维雾模式,以及集合数值预报系统将是未来的发展方向.     

利用环流特征量进行衡阳干旱预测及其系统开发

对国家气候中心下发的环流特征量,利用SPSS统计分析软件进行方差分析,找到通过一定信度检验的干旱预报因子,建立预报方程。历史回报发现这些预报模型的检验效果并不明显,但把结果按照一定规律订正后准确率明显提高,有较好的指示意义。以此预报模型为基础,开发衡阳市干旱预测系统,系统在2006、2007年的干旱预测中取得比较满意的效果。     

Adaptive observations for hurricane prediction

Summary This study proposes a method that can be used to provide guidelines to aircraft reconnaissance for hurricane observations. The method combines numerical weather prediction (NWP) model with a statistical approach to target adaptive observations over areas where the hurricane predictions are very sensitive to the initial analysis for the NWP-model. A single model experiment is performed using regular initial analysis, while 50 other ensemble runs are performed from randomly perturbed initial states. Under the perfect model assumption, the single model experiment serves as a true state. The method first computes the forecast error variances at a certain verification time, e.g. hour 48, and then locates the maximum centers of variances. After the locations of the maximum forecast error variances are known, various correlations of different variables between these maximum variance points and the perturbation fields at the target time, e.g. hour 12, are calculated to identify those locations at the target time, over where the observational errors might be responsible for the growth of forecast error variances at the verification time. Statistically, these correlation fields indicate where the most sensitive areas are at the target time, i.e. where the need for additional observations is suggested. Hurricane Fran of 1996 is used to test the proposed method. The reason for choosing this case is that, during the first 48 hour forecast, the track forecast from NWP-model was very close to the best track. Two additional experiments were designed to examine the method. One experiment updates predicted variables at the target time (12 h) over the areas, to where the proposed method indicates the forecast would be sensitive. The updating combines observations (or truth) with the first guess (predicted) fields. Another experiment also modifies predicted variables at the target time (12 h), but over the areas where the method indicates the forecast errors are less correlated to. The results show that the modification has greatly reduced the forecast error variances at the verification time (48 h) in the first experiment, however it has a very little impact on the variance fields at the forecast hour (48 h) in the second experiment. It is very clear from our experiments, that the proposed method is able to identify sensitive areas, where additional observations can help to reduce hurricane forecast errors from an NWP-model. Received July 19, 1999 Revised November 28, 1999     

连环犯罪的时空预测方法

基于英国的连环犯罪调查数据,使用ArcGIS9.2软件对犯罪地点进行缓冲区分析,将全范围内的可能犯罪地点进行重分类,然后采用Rossmo公式建模预测分析犯罪地点,得到罪犯居住地的可能性分布,最后通过时间序列分析方法对下次行凶的可能时间和地点进行了预测.     

地质气象灾害的定点预报

本文针对地质灾害中与气象因素结合最为紧密的滑坡和泥石流两种灾害类型,从灾害成因、预报依据、预报方法、系统建设等方面阐述了定点地质气象灾害的预警与预报的理论框架,对于气象部门与国土部门联合开展地质气象灾害预警预报做出了科学的解释.     

地质气象灾害的定点预报

本文针对地质灾害中与气象因素结合最为紧密的滑坡和泥石流两种灾害类型,从灾害成因、预报依据、预报方法、系统建设等方面阐述了定点地质气象灾害的预警与预报的理论框架,对于气象部门与国土部门联合开展地质气象灾害预警预报做出了科学的解释。     

Uganda rainfall variability and prediction

This study analyzes large-scale controls on Uganda’s rainfall. Unlike past work, here, a May–October season is used because of the year-round nature of agricultural production, vegetation sensitivity to rainfall, and disease transmission. The Uganda rainfall record exhibits steady oscillations of ～3 and 6 years over 1950–2013. Correlation maps at two-season lead time resolve the subtropical ridge over global oceans as an important feature. Multi-variate environmental predictors include Dec–May south Indian Ocean sea surface temperature, east African upper zonal wind, and South Atlantic wind streamfunction, providing a 33% fit to May–Oct rainfall time series. Composite analysis indicates that cool-phase El Niño Southern Oscillation supports increased May–Oct Uganda rainfall via a zonal overturning lower westerly/upper easterly atmospheric circulation. Sea temperature anomalies are positive in the east Atlantic and negative in the west Indian Ocean in respect of wet seasons. The northern Hadley Cell plays a role in limiting the northward march of the equatorial trough from May to October. An analysis of early season floods found that moist inflow from the west Indian Ocean converges over Uganda, generating diurnal thunderstorm clusters that drift southwestward producing high runoff.     

Statistical method of precipitation prediction

Precipitation records from Salamanca (Spain) are being analyzed to detect temporal oscillations. This paper shows a method to identify these signals in order to determine the behaviour of the precipitation time series in this region.     

Multimodel approach to seasonal prediction

Multimodel forecast fields of temperature at 850 hPa and seasonal precipitation are combined using a procedure of two-step averaging. It is shown that the resulting forecasts averaged over the multimodel ensemble outperform the forecasts of individual models. The verification of forecast production has been carried out on cross-validated hindcasts according to WMO requirements. The simulation of spatiotemporal variability of atmospheric variables is assessed. The results indicate that the combined models are rather skillful in the tropical oceans, while the accuracy in the extratropics is poor.     

季度预测研究回顾

对月平均大气环流预报试验、季度预测和中国汛期降水预测进行了总结。结果表明气候预测的对象必须是要素的时间平均场。利用数值模拟进行气候预测是今后的主要发展方向,而季度预测技巧的提高依赖于对物理参数化和物理机制的研究。最后,讨论了季平均气温和季总降水的可预报性问题,即时效性和准确率。     

一种条件概率预报方法

本文提出一种计算较简便的非线性的概率预报方法——条件概率法。本方法在单站长期天气预报中使用了66次,结果相当于将预报量的观测资料分为五级时,其平均绝对误差接近于一级。     

Short-term prediction of local wind conditions

Using Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models it has been shown that they, combined with models (either physical or statistical) taking local effects into account, can be used to predict the wind locally better than the models commonly used today (as eg persistence). By local is meant at one distinct spot, as eg the location of a meteorological mast. The physical model of local effects takes the following into account: shelter from near-by obstacles, the effect of roughness changes and the effect of the local orography. The large-scale flow is linked to the surface flow by the geostrophic drag law, and the logarithmic wind profile. The predictions are made up to 36 hours ahead. The model is tested on data from 50 meteorological stations scattered all over Europe.     

利用均生函数预测模型作降水预报

本文对均生函数预测模型基本原理作了简要的介绍.并用该方法预测资阳汛期(5-9月)降水总量,用此方法还可作逐月的降水量.如同在数理统计中通常所要求的,序列样本量n不小于30,在具体应用中历史资料越长,准确率越高.     

A review of ENSO prediction studies

A hierarchy of ENSO (El Niño/Southern Oscillation) prediction schemes has been developed which includes statistical schemes and physical models. The statistical models are, in general, based on advanced statistical techniques and can be classified into models which use either low-frequency variations in the atmosphere (sea level pressure or surface wind) or upper ocean heat content as predictors. The physical models consist of coupled ocean-atmosphere models of varying degrees of complexity, ranging from simplified coupled models of the shallow water-type to coupled general circulation models. All models, statistical and physical, perform considerably better than the persistence forecast on predicting typical indices of ENSO on lead times of 6 to 12 months. The most successful prediction schemes, the fully physical coupled ocean-atmosphere models, show significant prediction abilities at lead times exceeding one year period. We therefore conclude that ENSO is predictable at least one year in advance. However, all of this applies to gross indices of ENSO such as the Southern Oscillation Index. Despite the demonstrated predictability, little is known about the predictability of specific features known to be associated with ENSO (e.g. Indian Monsoon rainfall, Southern African drought, or even off-equatorial sea surface temperature). Nor has the relative importance for prediction of different regional anomalies or different physical processes yet been established. A seasonal dependence in predictability is well established, but the processes responsible for it are not fully understood.     

Vortex initialization for typhoon track prediction

Summary A shallow water single level primitive equation model is ideally suited for studying the motion of a tropical cyclone. Three factors seem to be important in the initialization, i.e. the size, intensity and the initial speed and direction of motion of the storm. This study presents the results of sensitivity studies on the above parameters in the definition of a synthetic idealized vortex. The sensitivity studies include results of experimental forecasts for typhoons Betty of 1987 and Dan of 1989. The results of these studies show that the initial size, intensity and direction and speed of motion show considerable sensitivity to the predicted track. Finally a summary of the track forecast errors through 72 hours are presented for these storms.With 8 Figures     

水文气象预报研究述评

简述了水文预报及水文模型、面雨量的计算及应用和水文气象耦合预报方面的研究工作。数值天气预报模式与流域水文模型的耦合，既可提高短、中、长期水文预报预警预见期，又为数值预报模式提供较为科学的陆面过程方案，改善数值天气预报模式预报性能，这种耦合研究，成为了水文气象预报研究的重点方向。     

利用均生函数预测模型作降水预报

本文对均生函数预测模型基本原理作了简要的介绍。并用该方法预测资阳汛期（5-9月）降水总量，用此方法还可作逐月的降水量．如同在数理统计中通常所要求的，序列样本量n不小于30，在具体应用中历史资料越长，准确率越高。