On the vorticity patterns at the 300 hPa level during NO2 episode days in Athens

Summary The vertical thermal structure of the troposphere and the vorticity patterns at the 300 hPa level were examined for days with high concentrations of NO₂ in Athens. Twenty days with maximum daily concentrations exceeding 300 µg/m³ were selected at two stations near the center of the city from the years 1989, 1991 and 1992. It was found from soundings of 02.00 LST that the vertical thermal structure was warmer than normal on these days and that at the 850 hPa level the temperature exceeded the normal values by at least 5 °C on half of the days. A nocturnal surface inversion also existed on all days and the increase in potential temperature () between the surface and 1000 hPa was at least 4°C. One or two days before the occurrence of the episodes, one or more negative vorticity centers were found at the 300 hPa level, approaching Greece from the north or northwest. The negative vorticity advection caused by the approach of these centers produced the warming of the troposphere by subsidence.With 10 Figures     

Winter climate anomalies in Europe and their associated circulation at 500 hPa

Regional anomalies of the surface climate over Europe are defined by a simultanous EOF-analysis of the normalized monthly mean sea level pressure, temperature and precipitation fields of 100 winters (December–February, 1887–1986) at 40 stations. The monthly amplitudes of the first EOF (about 25% of the total variance) are used as an index for the monthly winter climate anomaly. They characterize a high (low) pressure cell over central Europe associated with a positive (negative) temperature and precipitation anomaly over northern (central-southern) Europe as indicated by a northward (southward) shift of the tail end of the cross-Atlantic cyclone track. These patterns resemble the phenomenological anticyclonic (cyclonic) Grosswetter classification and the European blocking (enhanced zonal flow) regime. The second EOF is of similar magnitude and gives latitudinal corrections to these two basic flow regimes. The joint probability distribution of both amplitudes shows a weak bimodality mainly associated with the first EOF. Further insight into the underlying physical processes of the climate anomaly patterns in Europe is obtained from the extended Eliassen-Palm flux diagnostics of the barotropic transient eddy-mean flow interaction (Hoskins et al. 1983) and the stationary wave propagation (Plumb 1985). The diagnostics confined to the barotropic components and applied to the regression and the composite anomaly fields of the transient and stationary eddy flows of the 500 hPa geopotential (1946–87, north of 20°N) leads to the following results: (1) The bandpass filtered transient eddy variances of the 500 hPa geopotential show a shift of the cross-Atlantic storm track: In high (low) pressure situations over Europe the cross-Atlantic storm track intensity is enhanced (reduced) and its tail end is shifted northward (remains zonal); the North Pacific storm track extends further (less) eastward and thus closer to the west coast of North America. (2) The extreme high pressure system over Europe tends to be supported by an anomalous transient eddy forcing of the mean flow stream-function: it enhances the zonal wind to its north and generates anticyclonic vorticity about 10° upstream from its center. In the low pressure composite the anomalous cyclonic vorticity is generated reducing the zonal flow to its north. (3) The occurrence (lack) of a strong eastward stationary wave activity flux over the Atlantic is associated with the high (low) pressure situations over Europe. Finally, a positive feedback is conjectured between the stationary wavetrain modifying the tail end of the cross-Atlantic storm track and the transient eddies intensifying this anomaly.     

Applying Anomaly-based Weather Analysis to the Prediction of Low Visibility Associated with the Coastal Fog at Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in East China

Low visibility episodes (visibility < 1000 m) were studied by applying the anomaly-based weather analysis method. A regional episode of low visibility associated with a coastal fog that occurred from 27 to 28 January 2016 over Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, Zhejiang Province, East China, was first examined. Some basic features from the anomalous weather analysis for this case were identified: (1) the process of low visibility mainly caused by coastal fog was a direct response to anomalous temperature inversion in the lower troposphere, with a warm center around the 925 hPa level, which was formed by a positive geopotential height (GPH) anomaly in the upper troposphere and a negative GPH anomaly near the surface; (2) the positive humidity anomaly was conducive to the formation of coastal fog and rain; (3) regional coastal fog formed at the moment when the southwesterly wind anomalies transferred to northeasterly wind anomalies. Other cases confirmed that the low visibility associated with coastal fog depends upon low-level inversion, a positive humidity anomaly, and a change of wind anomalies from southwesterly to northeasterly, rain and stratus cloud amount. The correlation coefficients of six-hourly inversion, 850?925-hPa-averaged temperature, GPH and humidity anomalies against visibility are ?0.31, 0.40 and ?0.48, respectively, reaching the 99% confidence level in the first half-years of 2015 and 2016. By applying the anomaly-based weather analysis method to medium-range model output products, such as ensemble prediction systems, the anomalous temperature?pressure pattern and humidity?wind pattern can be used to predict the process of low visibility associated with coastal fog at several days in advance.     

MAINTENANCE MECHANISMS OF THE STATIONARY WAVE ANOMALY TELECONNECTION PATTERNS IN THE UPPER TROPOSPHERE

The spatial structure and temporal variations of the stationary wave anomalies in the uppertroposphere during the Northern Hemisphere winter are studied with the ECMWF data of 1980—1988 and PCA(principal component analysis)method.The vorticity source anomalies of the mainteleconnection patterns are analyzed,and their roles in the maintenance of the stationary waveanomaly teleconnection patterns are investigated with the harotropic model.The results show thatthe anomalies of transient vorticity flux convergences tend to cancel the anomaly of vorticitysources generated by divergent winds.The stationary wave anomaly patterns caused by divergentwind anomalies only are very different from observations.However,if the anomalous transientvorticity flux convergences are also included in the vorticity sources,the simulated patterns will begreatly improved.     

The intraseasonal oscillations of precipitation and circulations from January to March in 2010 in East Asia

The rainfall from January to March in 2010 in East Asia is positive anomaly and the temporal evolution characteristics present the cycle of 20–40 days. In the present paper, the low-frequency circulations and its formation mechanism are analyzed. The results show that during the peak rainfall phase, the upstream of the rainfall regions is controlled by low-frequency cyclone, and the downstream is controlled by low-frequency anticyclone in the middle and low troposphere. In the upper troposphere, the westerly jet presents the oscillation characteristics between the north and the south. Both the integrated (from the surface to 100 hPa) diabatic heating and the horizontal vorticity advection contribute to the vertical velocity. In addition, the vorticity vertical advection has effects on the vertical speed, which is a self-feedback process. The latent heating in the precipitation has influences on the westerly jet in the upper troposphere. The interactions between the precipitation and the westerly jet are mainly manifested as the intraseasonal oscillations.     

Impact of Planetary Wave Reflection on Tropospheric Blocking over the Urals–Siberia Region in January 2008

Planetary wave reflection from the stratosphere played a significant role in changing the tropospheric circulation pattern over Eurasia in mid-January 2008. We studied the 2008 event and compared with composite analysis(winters of 2002/2003,2004/2005, 2006/2007, 2007/2008, 2010/2011 and 2011/2012), when the downward coupling was stronger, by employing time-lagged singular value decomposition analysis on the geopotential height field. In the Northern Hemisphere, the geopotential fields were decomposed into zonal mean and wave components to compare the relative covariance patterns. It was found that the wavenumber 1(WN1) component was dominant compared with the wavenumber 2(WN2) component and zonal mean process. For the WN1 field, the covariance was much higher(lower) for the negative(positive) lag, with a prominent peak around +15 days when the leading stratosphere coupled strongly with the troposphere. It contributed to the downward coupling due to reflection, when the stratosphere exhibited a partially reflective background state. We also analyzed the evolution of the WN1 anomaly and heat flux anomaly, both in the troposphere and stratosphere, during January–March 2008. The amplitude of the tropospheric WN1 pattern reached a maximum and was consistent with a downward wave coupling event influenced by the stratospheric WN1 anomaly at 10 h Pa. This was consistent with the reflection of the WN1 component over Eurasia, which triggered an anomalous blocking high in the Urals–Siberia region. We further clarified the impact of reflection on the tropospheric WN1 field and hence the tropospheric circulation pattern by changing the propagation direction during and after the event.     

Impacts of cloud-induced mass forcing on the development of moist potential vorticity anomaly during torrential rains

1. Introduction The Ertel (1942) potential vorticity (PV) has beenwidely used, especially in the studies of large-scale sys-tems (Hoskins et al., 1985; McIntyre and Norton, 2000;Wu et al., 1995; Wu and Liu, 1999). The vorticityequation in quasi-geostrophic ?ows only predicts thevariation of the vorticity and cannot provide a usefulconstraint to the vorticity. PV provides a constraintfor the variation of the vorticity in the baroclinic at-mosphere (Gao et al., 1990). The PV may not bec…     

西北太平洋台风活动与大气季节内振荡

本文综合介绍了大气季节内振荡与西北太平洋台风活动关系的最新研究结果。主要内容是:大气MJO的活动对西北太平洋台风的生成有比较明显的调制作用,在MJO的活跃期与非活跃期西北太平洋生成台风数的比例为2:1;而在MJO活跃期,对流中心位于赤道东印度洋(即MJO第2～3位相)与对流中心在西太平洋地区(即MJO第5～6位相)时的比例也为2:1。在MJO的不同位相,西太平洋地区的动力因子和热源分布形势有很明显不同。在第2～3位相,各种因子均呈现出抑制西太平洋地区对流及台风发展的态势;而在第5～6位相则明显促进对流的发生发展。这说明MJO在不断东移的过程中,将影响和改变大气环流形势,最终影响台风的生成。对多台风年与少台风年850 hPa的30～60 d低频动能距平合成分析表明,在多台风年有两个低频动能的大值区,其中最显著的是低频动能正异常位于菲律宾以东15°N以南的西北太平洋地区,此区域正好为季风槽所在的位置。而少台风年的情况与多台风年相反,从阿拉伯海东部经印度半岛、孟加拉湾一直到我国南海地区,都是低频动能的大值区,最大的低频动能中心位于印度半岛和我国南海南部;而菲律宾以东的西北太平洋是低频动能的负距平区,季风槽偏弱,对台风生成发展不利。200 hPa速度势场清楚表明,多台风年(少台风年)在菲律宾以东的西北太平洋上表现为高层辐散(辐合),增强(减弱)该地区的上升气流,有利于(不利于)台风的生成。大气季节内振荡(ISO)对西北太平洋台风路径影响的研究表明,大气ISO)流场对台风路径预报有重要参考意义。其结果表明,台风生成时850 hPa低频气旋(LFC)的正涡度带(特别是最大正涡度线)走向往往预示着台风的未来走向;200 hPa的低频环流形势对台风的路径也有一定的指示作用,与200 hPa低频反气旋(LFAC)相联系的200 hPa强低频气流对台风起着引导气流的作用。     

关键区海温年代际异常对我国东部夏季降水影响

利用1931—2010年UKMO HADISST1全球月海表温度、NOAA再分析资料及我国东部96个站月降水量资料,使用REOF,SVD及合成分析等方法探讨了关键区冬季海表温度 (SST) 年代际异常对我国东部夏季降水的影响。结果表明:当冬季黑潮区SST年代际异常处于正位相时,夏季500 hPa中高纬度地区位势高度呈“+-+”距平分布,西风带经向环流盛行,西太平洋副热带高压加强、西伸;850 hPa风场距平场上,北方地区为反气旋性异常控制,南海上空为异常偏南气流,这样的环流配置有利于我国东部夏季多雨带出现在长江中下游地区;当冬季南印度洋偶极子 (SIOD) 年代际异常处于正位相时,夏季500 hPa中高纬度地区位势高度为正距平,阻塞形势发展,经向环流盛行,有利于冷空气南下,西太平洋副热带高压强度偏强,位置略偏南、偏西;850 hPa风场距平场上,北方地区为一反气旋性异常控制,异常偏北气流延伸至我国南方地区,索马里越赤道气流偏强。这种环流配置使得副热带锋区偏南,夏季多雨带位于华南及东南沿海地区。     

5—6月东北冷涡持续活动及强度特征

利用1960—2012年5—6月NCEP/NCAR逐日再分析资料,基于冷涡经典定义,采取客观识别方法检索东北冷涡活动过程,根据东北冷涡活动时空变化特征给出东北冷涡持续活动过程标准, 通过冷涡强度指数进行定量化分析,该指数对冷涡持续活动过程具有较好表征意义。冷涡活动强对应5月乌拉尔山阻塞高压、贝加尔湖阻塞高压和6月鄂霍次克海阻塞高压活动频繁。通过强弱指数年合成,得到6月强指数年冷涡系统较深厚,集中于对流层中高层,冷心结构明显,具有一定大气斜压特征; 高层存在冷中心,低层有冷空气活动,中高层西风带呈明显的上游分流和下游汇合特征,分汇流之间呈东北高、西南低的偶极子阻塞形势;弱指数年冷涡系统较浅薄,主要集中在对流层中低层,冷心结构不明显,不存在阻塞形势。     

Tropical cyclone potential hazard in Southeast China and its linkage with the East Asian westerly jet

A new synthesized index for estimating the hazard of both accumulated strong winds and heavy rainfall from a tropical cyclone (TC) is presented and applied to represent TC potential hazard over Southeast China. Its relationship with the East Asian westerly jet in the upper troposphere is also investigated. The results show that the new TC potential hazard index (PHI) is good at reflecting individual TC hazard and has significantly higher correlation with economic losses. Seasonal variation of TC-PHI shows that the largest TC-PHI on average occurs in July-August, the months when most TCs make landfall over mainland China. The spatial distribution of PHI at site shows that high PHI associated with major landfall TCs occurs along the southeast coast of China. An East Asian westerly jet index (EAWJI), which represents the meridional migration of the westerly jet, is defined based on two regions where significant correlations exist between TC landfall frequency and zonal wind at 200 hPa. Further analyses show that an anomalous easterly steering flow occurred above the tracks of TCs, and favored TCs making landfall along the southeast coast of China, leading to an increase in the landfall TC when the EAWJ was located north of its average latitude. Meanwhile, anomalous easterly wind shear and positive anomaly in low-level relative vorticity along TCs landfall-track favored TC development. In addition, anomalous water vapor transport from westerly wind in the South China Sea resulted in more condensational heating and an enhanced monsoon trough, leading to the maintenance of TC intensity for a longer time. All of these environmental factors increase the TC potential hazard in Southeast China. Furthermore, the EAWJ may affect tropical circulation by exciting meridional propagation of transient eddies. During a low EAWJI phase in July-August, anomalous transient eddy vorticity flux at 200 hPa propagates southward over the exit region of the EAWJ, resulting in eddy vorticity flux convergence and the weakening in the zonal westerly flow to the south of the EAWJ exit region, producing a favorable upper-level circulation for a TC making landfall.     

亚洲东部冬季地面温度变化与平流层弱极涡的关系

利用NCEP资料计算NAM指数和标准化温度距平,对17次平流层弱极涡事件时亚洲东部温度变化进行了研究。结果表明:平流层环流异常比对流层温度变化超前约15天,地面温度变化的最大距平出现在平流层弱极涡后期,大约以40°N为界,北部比正常年份偏冷而南部偏暖。文中通过位势涡度的分布和变化以及500 hPa东亚大槽的变化讨论了其影响过程和机理,在弱极涡初期和中期,自平流层向下,高位涡冷空气主要局限于60°N以北。从弱极涡的后期开始,在45°N以北地区,高位涡冷空气向南扩张,在对流层中上层,极地附近的高位涡冷空气扩张到45°N附近。同时,500 hPa东亚大槽虽有加强,但低压区向东延伸,而贝加尔湖附近的高压脊显著减弱,致使槽后的偏北气流减弱,槽后冷空气主要影响中国华北、东北及其以北地区,造成这些地区偏冷。而40°N以南地区,从弱极涡的后期开始有南方低位涡偏暖空气向北运动,同时冷空气活动减少,地面显著偏暖。     

强暴雨系统中湿位涡异常的诊断分析

从动力上推导了热力、质量强迫下的湿位涡方程，阐明了在暴雨系统中引起的强降水会造成热力、质量强迫下的湿位涡异常。并用NCEP1°×1°的分析资料对1999年6月23日到6月26日引起长江流域暴雨的对流系统进行了湿位涡诊断分析，分析结果表明湿位涡异常高度主要出现在700~500 hPa之间，中心最大值可超过1.4 PVU。从动力和资料诊断两个方面均揭示出湿位涡异常区与强降水区有很好的对应关系。     

Study on cut-off low-pressure systems with floods over Northeast Asia

Summary The cut-off lows (COLs) during the period from June to August 1998 leading to the record flood in Northeast Asia, especially in Northeast China, has been investigated in this paper. The results are as follows: the blocking highs benefited significantly the formation and maintenance of COLs over Northeast China; an obvious frontogenesis zone existed in Northeast China and it implies that baroclinity played an important role in the initiation of COLs, especially in middle and upper troposphere; the maxima of the potential vorticity anomaly were located in the upper troposphere, then extended downwards to the middle and the lower troposphere. The pronounced interaction between systems in upper-middle and low troposphere can be revealed; the moisture supply was from South China, and even from East China Sea and South China Sea. The strong southerly current transported very rich moisture to Northeast China. The maximum of the convergence of moisture flux was below 850 hPa. Obvious interaction between the middle and lower latitude systems was found in the study. Also, the summer monsoon showed significant impacts on the sustained heavy rainfalls related with the COLs over Northeast China; the upward motion could be caused by the lifting of the large scale dynamic forcing and there was no obvious releasing of latent heating in the upper-middle troposphere. The cold dome in the COLs was quite different both from the warm core in tropical cyclone and from the weaker warm core in Meiyu (Baiu) front low. The calculation of vorticity budget shows that both the horizontal advection term and horizontal divergence term contributed importantly to the maintenance and the strengthening of positive relative vorticity. Finally, the complex dynamical characteristics regarding the COLs are discussed and further investigation is proposed.     

华东高温期的大气环流特征分析

利用NCEP/NCAR再分析资料和地面气象站点资料,对1951—2005年华东高温日数较多（少）月和高温过程各阶段的500 hPa位势高度、850 hPa温度和相对湿度及700 hPa垂直速度的环流特征进行对比分析。结果表明：在高温日数较多月,副高西伸,850 hPa温度较高而相对湿度较低,华东中南部下沉气流明显,华东多为位势高度、温度和垂直速度正距平及相对湿度负距平;而在高温日数较少月,副高东退,850 hPa温度较低而相对湿度较高,整个华东为上升气流,并为位势高度、温度和垂直速度负距平及相对湿度正距平。与高温前期和衰退期相比,高温盛期副高北抬西进,华东850 hPa温度较高而相对湿度较低,华东南部下沉气流强盛,各要素距平值增加,多数要素距平中心移向华东或其周边。高温间断期则比盛期各要素距平减弱。大气环流要素场及其距平场的变动可以作为预报华东7—8月高温日数多寡和高温进程的参考依据。     

亚——非季风区非绝热加热与夏季环流关系的诊断研究

基于热力适应理论,本文利用 ＮＣＥＰ／ ＮＣＡＲ再分析资料对撒哈拉沙漠、青藏高原和孟加拉湾地区的非绝热加热与夏季环流进行了诊断研究。在非洲撒哈拉沙漠地区,以感热输送为主的加热仅局限于近地面层,边界层以上的大气则以辐射冷却占优势。因而除了边界层内存在着浅薄的正涡度和微弱的上升运动以外,整个对流层几乎都维持负涡度并盛行下沉运动。对于青藏高原地区,强大的表面感热通量引起的垂直扩散是近地面大气加热的主要分量,与大尺度上升运动相关的凝结潜热对低层大气的加热也有一定的贡献。长波辐射造成的对流层中、上层大气的冷却则主要由深对流潜热释放来补偿。夏季高原地区总非绝热加热是正值,且最大加热率出现在边界层内。低空大气辐合产生正涡度,而中、高层大气辐散伴有较强的负涡度。因而高原盛行上升运动,最大上升运动位于近地面层。夏季孟加拉湾地区的深对流凝结潜热释放远大于长波辐的冷却作用,因而整个对流层几乎都保持较强的非绝热加热。４００ｈＰａ层附近的最大加热率引起３００－４００ｈＰａ最强的上升运动。对流层上层是负涡度区,而中、低层为正涡度区。结果还表明,垂直和水平辐散环流与大气的热源和热汇区密切相联：在高层,辐散气流从热源区流向热汇区;在低层则相     

Potential vorticity diagnosis of tropical cyclone Usagi (2001) genesis induced by a mid-level vortex over the South China Sea

In this study, we first show that tropical cyclone (TC) Usagi evolved from a mid-level vortex over the South China Sea (SCS) in August 2001. The initial disturbance of TC Usagi had a maximum potential vorticity (PV) near 500 hPa, and an anticyclonic circulation with a cold core near the surface. The cyclonic circulation and its warm core of the mid-level vortex developed gradually downward toward the surface when environmental easterly and dry air intruded from the upper troposphere; finally, the mid-level vortex evolved into TC Usagi under favorable environment conditions such as weak vertical wind shear, deep moist layer, etc. To investigate the dynamic and thermodynamic processes during TC Usagi genesis, the technique of piecewise PV inversion is employed. The results show that the actions of upper-layer PV and potential temperature anomalies were not important in TC Usagi genesis. Surface-layer thermal anomalies mainly produced negative disturbances of temperature at the vortex center below 800 hPa, which was unfavorable to the genesis of a cyclonic circulation near the surface. Middle-to-lower-layer latent heat played a key role in TC Usagi genesis and downward development of dynamic and thermodynamic processes. The actions of dry air intrusion from the upper troposphere, environmental westerly changing into easterly in the middle and lower troposphere, and baroclinic structure of the vortex were also important. The cyclonic circulation of the mid-level vortex could develop downward quickly from the middle troposphere toward the surface. However, whether the warm core of the vortex developed near the surface depended on the combined actions of surface-layer thermal anomaly and middle-to-lower-layer latent heat. Finally, we present a conceptual model of TC Usagi genesis induced by a mid-level vortex over the SCS.     

2008年初“低温雨雪冰冻”灾害天气的持续性原因分析

从预报角度出发,初步分析了2008年初"低温雨雪冰冻"天气的主要特点和环流特征,对冻雨、暴雪的成因也进行了初步分析:2008年初低温雨雪冰冻期间,大气环流形势稳定,极涡中心偏向于东半球,强而稳定,来自极地的冷气团与来自热带洋面的暖气团长时间在长江中下游地区交汇是主要原因;贝加尔湖以西地区阻塞高压强而稳定,中亚、西亚低槽(涡)位置稳定、发展活跃;对流层700 hPa等压面西南气流稳定,850 hPa低层多切变、低涡活动,为降水提供了非常有利的低空辐合条件;对流层中层高原有低涡发展,高原不断有正涡度向东传播至东部沿海;西太平洋副热带高压(副高)强盛,位置偏西、偏北;副热带锋区强盛,南北温度梯度大;南支槽比较活跃;华南准静止锋、滇黔准静止锋稳定维持;热带洋面上暖气团活跃;逆温层稳定,融化层厚度较厚,是长时间冻雨天气的主要原因之一.2008年初低温雨雪冰冻期间的第1次过程为强冷、暖气流共同作用所致,其后是华南、滇黔准静止锋稳定,扩散冷空气渗透所为;2008年初暴雪天气的主要因四川盆地有正涡度向东传播至中国东部沿海地区,水汽充沛,上升运动强烈所致.     

500 hPa Vorticity Analyses over Argentina: Their Climatologyand Capacity to Distinguish Synoptic-Scale Precipitation

Summary The Southern South America climatological 500 hPa relative vorticity mean state was examined using regional objective analyses of 500 hPa geopotential heights provided by the Servicio Meteorológico Nacional of Argentina. The dataset, covering the period June 1983 to July 1987, was stratified into two samples: the cold and warm seasons. Mean cyclonic vorticity south of 40° S results in a climatological trough over Patagonia with a northwest-southeast tilt. North of this latitude, mean anticyclonic circulation dominates with the exception of a centre of cyclonic vorticity over the Río de la Plata (35° S, 56° W). Seasonal changes appear to be small. Relative vorticity frequency distributions were also analysed. The association between precipitation and synoptic-scale features of the mid-troposphere circulation was investigated through vorticity fields. A particular distribution of vorticity anomalies associated with daily precipitation in Buenos Aires is revealed by biserial correlation coefficient fields. In winter, the strongest relationships are found between 35° S and 40° S over the Andes Mountains (minimum significant correlation coefficients indicating a cyclonic vorticity anomaly), and in the south of Brazil and east of Buenos Aires over the Atlantic Ocean down to a latitude of 40° S (maximum correlation coefficients related to anomalously anticyclonic circulation). This shows the preferential position of troughs and ridges that produce precipitation in Buenos Aires on the time scale of a day. In summer, centres of anomalously cyclonic and anticyclonic vorticity associated with precipitation shift slightly southward. For moderate or intense precipitation in Buenos Aires, advection of warm and wet air southwards appears to be more important in winter, while in summer the strong anomalous vorticity gradient north of the negative centre over the Andes Cordillera favours rainfall in Buenos Aires. Received April 17, 1997