An Extreme Drought over South China in 2020/21 Concurrent with an Unprecedented Warm Northwest Pacific and La Ni?a

An extreme drought appeared in South China from October 2020 to March 2021. During that time, sea surface temperatures exhibited an unprecedented warm center over the northwest Pacific (NWP) and a cold center over the tropical eastern Pacific (La Ni?a). This study demonstrates the combined effects of an exceptionally warm NWP and a moderate La Ni?a are closely linked to the anomalous drought in South China. The sea surface temperature anomaly in these two regions induced a steeper horizontal geopotential height gradient over South China. As a result, anomalous northeasterly winds prevailed over South China, altering water vapor transport and moisture convergence. A simplified atmospheric general circulation model also verifies the influence of the NWP warm anomaly on South China precipitation. This study points out that the sea surface temperature variation in the NWP was important to the occurrence of extreme drought in South China from October 2020 to March 2021.     

Strengthened influence of the East Asian trough on spring extreme precipitation variability over eastern Southwest China after the late 1980s

The relationship between variations in the East Asian trough (EAT) intensity and spring extreme precipitation over Southwest China (SWC) during 1961–2020 is investigated. The results indicate that there is an interdecadal increase in the relationship between the EAT and spring extreme precipitation over eastern SWC around the late 1980s. During the latter period, the weak (strong) EAT corresponds to a strong and large-scale anomalous anticyclone (cyclone) over the East Asia–Northwest Pacific region. The EAT-related anomalous southerlies (northerlies) dominate eastern SWC, leading to significant upward (downward) motion and moisture convergence (divergence) over the region, providing favorable (unfavorable) dynamic and moisture conditions for extreme precipitation over eastern SWC. In contrast, during the former period, the EAT-related circulation anomalies are weak and cover a relatively smaller region, which cannot significantly affect the moisture and dynamic conditions over eastern SWC; therefore, the response in extreme precipitation over eastern SWC to EAT is weak over the period. The interdecadal change in the relationship between eastern SWC spring extreme precipitation and the EAT could be related to the interdecadal change in the EAT variability. The large (small) variability of the EAT is associated with significant (insignificant) changes in spring extreme precipitation over eastern SWC during the latter (former) period.摘要本文研究表明东亚大槽强度与中国西南地区东部春季极端降水的关系在20世纪80年代末后显著增强, 这可能与东亚大槽自身变率的年代际变化有关. 在80年代末之后, 东亚大槽的变率显著增强, 其对应的大气环流异常也偏强, 范围偏大, 可以显著影响西南地区东部的水汽和动力条件, 从而引起该地区春季极端降水的显著变化. 而在80年代末之前, 东亚大槽的变率偏弱, 其对应的大气环流异常也偏弱, 范围偏小, 因此不能对西南地区东部春季极端降水的变化产生显著影响.     

Toward Understanding the Extreme Floods over Yangtze River Valley in June?July 2020: Role of Tropical Oceans※

The extreme floods in the Middle/Lower Yangtze River Valley (MLYRV) during June?July 2020 caused more than 170 billion Chinese Yuan direct economic losses. Here, we examine the key features related to this extreme event and explore relative contributions of SST anomalies in different tropical oceans. Our results reveal that the extreme floods over the MLYRV were tightly related to a strong anomalous anticyclone persisting over the western North Pacific, which brought tropical warm moisture northward that converged over the MLYRV. In addition, despite the absence of a strong El Ni?o in 2019/2020 winter, the mean SST anomaly in the tropical Indian Ocean during June?July 2020 reached its highest value over the last 40 years, and 43％ (57％) of it is attributed to the multi-decadal warming trend (interannual variability). Based on the NUIST CFS1.0 model that successfully predicted the wet conditions over the MLYRV in summer 2020 initiated from 1 March 2020 (albeit the magnitude of the predicted precipitation was only about one-seventh of the observed), sensitivity experiment results suggest that the warm SST condition in the Indian Ocean played a dominant role in generating the extreme floods, compared to the contributions of SST anomalies in the Maritime Continent, central and eastern equatorial Pacific, and North Atlantic. Furthermore, both the multi-decadal warming trend and the interannual variability of the Indian Ocean SSTs had positive impacts on the extreme floods. Our results imply that the strong multi-decadal warming trend in the Indian Ocean needs to be taken into consideration for the prediction/projection of summer extreme floods over the MLYRV in the future.     

Toward Understanding the Extreme Floods over Yangtze River Valley in June?July 2020: Role of Tropical Oceans※

The extreme floods in the Middle/Lower Yangtze River Valley (MLYRV) during June?July 2020 caused more than 170 billion Chinese Yuan direct economic losses. Here, we examine the key features related to this extreme event and explore relative contributions of SST anomalies in different tropical oceans. Our results reveal that the extreme floods over the MLYRV were tightly related to a strong anomalous anticyclone persisting over the western North Pacific, which brought tropical warm moisture northward that converged over the MLYRV. In addition, despite the absence of a strong El Ni?o in 2019/2020 winter, the mean SST anomaly in the tropical Indian Ocean during June?July 2020 reached its highest value over the last 40 years, and 43％ (57％) of it is attributed to the multi-decadal warming trend (interannual variability). Based on the NUIST CFS1.0 model that successfully predicted the wet conditions over the MLYRV in summer 2020 initiated from 1 March 2020 (albeit the magnitude of the predicted precipitation was only about one-seventh of the observed), sensitivity experiment results suggest that the warm SST condition in the Indian Ocean played a dominant role in generating the extreme floods, compared to the contributions of SST anomalies in the Maritime Continent, central and eastern equatorial Pacific, and North Atlantic. Furthermore, both the multi-decadal warming trend and the interannual variability of the Indian Ocean SSTs had positive impacts on the extreme floods. Our results imply that the strong multi-decadal warming trend in the Indian Ocean needs to be taken into consideration for the prediction/projection of summer extreme floods over the MLYRV in the future.     

Why Does Extreme Rainfall Occur in Central China during the Summer of 2020 after a Weak El Ni?o?

In summer 2020, extreme rainfall occurred throughout the Yangtze River basin, Huaihe River basin, and southern Yellow River basin, which are defined here as the central China (CC) region. However, only a weak central Pacific (CP) El Ni?o happened during winter 2019/20, so the correlations between the El Ni?o–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) indices and ENSO-induced circulation anomalies were insufficient to explain this extreme precipitation event. In this study, reanalysis data and numerical experiments are employed to identify and verify the primary ENSO-related factors that cause this extreme rainfall event. During summer 2020, unusually strong anomalous southwesterlies on the northwest side of an extremely strong Northwest Pacific anticyclone anomaly (NWPAC) contributed excess moisture and convective instability to the CC region, and thus, triggered extreme precipitation in this area. The tropical Indian Ocean (TIO) has warmed in recent decades, and consequently, intensified TIO basinwide warming appears after a weak El Ni?o, which excites an extremely strong NWPAC via the pathway of the Indo-western Pacific Ocean capacitor (IPOC) effect. Additionally, the ENSO event of 2019/20 should be treated as a fast-decaying CP El Ni?o rather than a general CP El Ni?o, so that the circulation and precipitation anomalies in summer 2020 can be better understood. Last, the increasing trend of tropospheric temperature and moisture content in the CC region after 2000 is also conducive to producing heavy precipitation.     

THE CLIMATIC JUMP OF THE WESTERN PACIFIC WARM POOL AND ITS CLIMATIC EFFECTS

1INTRODUCTIONTropicalwesternPacificOceanisanareathathasthehighestoceantemperatureacrosstheglobe.Asmostofthewarmwaterconcentratesintheregion,itisknownasthe搘esternPacificwarmpool?Asshowninsomestudies[1-5],thegeneralcirculationandshort-termclimaticchangeswillbeseriouslyaffectedifthermodynamicconditionchangesinthewaters,whichthenhaveanimportantroletoplayintheonsetofanyENSOepisodes.Therehasnotbeenanyunifieddefinitionoftheindexforthewarmpool.FollowingthecriterionofWyrtki[4],however,theareae…     

The superior influence of Darwin Sea level pressure anomalies over ENSO as a simple drought predictor for Southern Africa

Summary The dominant climatic mode responsible for seasonal rainfall variability across central southern Africa has been well-established as ENSO. Hence, the El Ni?o signal of the equatorial Pacific has been used extensively to predict droughts in this sub-region. Although this paper acknowledges that El Ni?o influences rainfall deficits over eastern southern Africa, an earlier signal of extreme positive sea level pressure (SLP) anomalies at Darwin for the averaged March to June period (MAMJ Darwin) has proved to have a superior remote connection to droughts in the sub-region. Simple linear statistical tools including composite techniques and correlation methods have been employed on century long data sets (1901–2000) to identify the emerging paramount connection between MAMJ Darwin SLP anomalies and southern African rainfall. Both MAMJ Darwin SLP anomalies and the Zimbabwe seasonal rainfall time series are significantly correlated (above the 95% significant level) with sea surface temperature anomalies. These represent the Indian Ocean Dipole mode in the tropical Indian Ocean and ENSO in the tropical Pacific for the averaged September to December period. ‘Pure’ MAMJ Darwin (that occur in the absence of El Ni?o in the Pacific) coincide with droughts more significantly (83% hit rate) than ‘pure’ El Ni?o events (not preceded by a high MAMJ Darwin) (38% hit rate). Co-occurrences (MAMJ Darwin preceded by El Ni?o) do not only have the highest hit rate of 93% but subsequent droughts are noticeably more severe. The ‘pure’ El Ni?os however, are not only poorly related to Zimbabwe seasonal rainfall deficits, but are apparently not connected to extreme droughts of the 20^th century. Thus, MAMJ Darwin is a good simple predictor of droughts associated with or without ENSO in the Pacific. The high prediction skill of these results, especially the inherent longer lead-time than ENSO, makes MAMJ Darwin SLP anomalies an ideal additional input candidate for sub-regional drought monitoring and forecasting schemes. In this way, drought early warning and disaster preparedness activities can be enhanced over the sub-region. Authors’ addresses: D. Manatsa, W. Chingombe, H. Matsikwa, Faculty of Science, Bindura University of Science Education, P. Bag 1020, Bindura, Zimbabwe; C. H. Matarira, Department of Geography and Environmental Science, National University of Lesotho, Roma 180, Lesotho.     

THE EFFECT OF EQUATORIAL CENTRAL PACIFIC SSTAS ON THE INTERANNUAL VARIATION OF PRECIPITATION OVER SOUTHWEST CHINA DURING SPRING

The interannual variations of rainfall over southwest China (SWC) during spring and its relationship with sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) in the Pacific are analyzed, based on monthly mean precipitation data from 26 stations in SWC between 1961 and 2010, NCEP/NCAR re-analysis data, and Hadley global SST data. Sensitivity tests are conducted to assess the response of precipitation in SWC to SSTAs over two key oceanic domains, using the global atmospheric circulation model ECHAM5. The interannual variation of rainfall over SWC in spring is very significant. There are strong negative (positive) correlation coefficients between the anomalous precipitation over SWC and SSTAs over the equatorial central Pacific (the mid-latitude Pacific) during spring. Numerical simulations show that local rainfall in the northwest of the equatorial central Pacific is suppressed, and a subtropical anticyclone circulation anomaly is produced, while a cyclonic circulation anomaly in the mid-latitude western Pacific occurs, when the equatorial Pacific SSTAs are in a cold phase in spring. Anomalous northerly winds appear in the northeastern part of SWC in the lower troposphere. Precipitation increases over the Maritime Continent of the western equatorial Pacific, while a cyclonic circulation anomaly appears in the northwest of the western equatorial Pacific. A trough over the Bay of Bengal enhances the southerly flow in the south of SWC. The trough also enhances the transport of moisture to SWC. The warm moisture intersects with anomalous cold air over the northeast of SWC, and so precipitation increases during spring. On the interannual time scale, the impacts of the mid-latitude Pacific SSTAs on rainfall in SWC during spring are not significant, because the mid-latitude Pacific SSTAs are affected by the equatorial central Pacific SSTAs; that is, the mid-latitude Pacific SSTAs are a feedback to the circulation anomaly caused by the equatorial central Pacific SSTAs.     

2011年8月气候异常及成因分析

在总结2011年8月我国气候异常与大气环流特征的基础上,针对西南干旱和热带气旋活动偏少两大气候异常事件的成因进行了分析。结果表明：高度场偏高、西太平洋副热带高压偏强、夏季风偏弱和水汽条件较差等大气环流异常是导致高温干旱的主要原因;中部型拉尼娜事件的滞后影响和印度洋偏暖的影响是西南干旱的重要外强迫条件。南海对流活动偏弱,菲律宾以东季风槽位置偏北,热带气旋活动区域垂直风切偏大,西北太平洋副热带高压偏强等因素导致热带气旋活动偏少。     

海表温度的增暖趋势和自然变率对长江中下游夏季极端降水强度的影响

极端降水引起的洪、涝等灾害每年给我国带来极大的人员伤亡和经济损失。全球增暖使极端降水事件发生的频率增加,强度增强。但是针对不同区域极端降水事件,其贡献究竟如何还有待于进一步认识。本文以我国长江中下游地区的极端降水事件为研究对象,通过典型年份夏季区域极端降水过程的水汽收支特征,探讨海表温度（SST）的增暖趋势和自然变率强迫对该区域典型极端降水强度的影响效应。结果表明:（1）极端降水过程及其夏季都伴随着区域整层大气的水汽辐合,且水汽辐合发生在经向方向。西北太平洋异常反气旋式环流,在区域南边界形成了稳定的西南风异常的水汽输送。（2）典型极端降水过程发生的夏季,SST在赤道印度洋和热带大西洋为强正异常,主要为增暖趋势的贡献,赤道中东太平洋SST异常表现为La Ni?a型。（3）SST增暖趋势和自然变率的数值敏感性试验表明,1998、2017和2020年的SST增暖趋势强迫的区域水汽辐合分别是其自然变率强迫的83%、210%和107%,SST增暖趋势比自然变率的影响更为重要。（4）SST增暖趋势和自然变率都是通过强迫西北太平洋异常反气旋式环流,引起长江中下游区域南边界异常的西南水汽输送,是导致极端降水发生的主要过程。     

The 1983 drought in the West Sahel: a case study

Some drought years over sub-Saharan west Africa (1972, 1977, 1984) have been previously related to a cross-equatorial Atlantic gradient pattern with anomalously warm sea surface temperatures (SSTs) south of 10°N and anomalously cold SSTs north of 10°N. This SST dipole-like pattern was not characteristic of 1983, the third driest summer of the twentieth century in the Sahel. This study presents evidence that the dry conditions that persisted over the west Sahel in 1983 were mainly forced by high Indian Ocean SSTs that were probably remanent from the strong 1982/1983 El Ni?o event. The synchronous Pacific impact of the 1982/1983 El Ni?o event on west African rainfall was however, quite weak. Prior studies have mainly suggested that the Indian Ocean SSTs impact the decadal-scale rainfall variability over the west Sahel. This study demonstrates that the Indian Ocean also significantly affects inter-annual rainfall variability over the west Sahel and that it was the main forcing for the drought over the west Sahel in 1983.     

Factors controlling January�CApril rainfall over southern India and Sri Lanka

Most of the annual rainfall over India occurs during the Southwest (June?CSeptember) and Northeast (October?CDecember) monsoon periods. In March 2008, however, Southern peninsular India and Sri Lanka received the largest rainfall anomaly on record since 1979, with amplitude comparable to summer-monsoon interannual anomalies. This anomalous rainfall appeared to be modulated at intraseasonal timescale by the Madden Julian Oscillation, and was synchronous with a decaying La Ni?a event in the Pacific Ocean. Was this a coincidence or indicative of a teleconnection pattern? In this paper, we explore factors controlling rainfall over southern India and Sri Lanka between January and April, i.e. outside of the southwest and northeast monsoons. This period accounts for 20% of annual precipitation over Sri Lanka and 10% over the southern Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Interannual variability is strong (about 40% of the January?CApril climatology). Intraseasonal rainfall anomalies over southern India and Sri Lanka are significantly associated with equatorial eastward propagation, characteristic of the Madden Julian Oscillation. At the interannual timescale, we find a clear connection with El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO); with El Ni?os being associated with decreased rainfall (correlation of ?0.46 significant at the 98% level). There is also a significant link with local SST anomalies over the Indian Ocean, and in particular with the inter-hemispheric sea surface temperature (SST) gradient over the Indian Ocean (with colder SST south of the equator being conducive to more rainfall, correlation of 0.55 significant at the 99% level). La Ni?as/cold SSTs south of the equator tend to have a larger impact than El Ni?os. We discuss two possible mechanisms that could explain these statistical relationships: (1) subsidence over southern India remotely forced by Pacific SST anomalies; (2) impact of ENSO-forced regional Indian Ocean SST anomalies on convection. However, the length of the observational record does not allow distinguishing between these two mechanisms in a statistically significant manner.     

近50年长江中下游春季和梅雨期降水变化特征

利用1961—2009年长江中下游地区52个气象站逐日降水资料,研究了该地区春季降水与梅雨期降水的连续变化特征,划分了连续旱、连续涝、先旱后涝和先涝后旱4类连续性事件,并探讨其成因。结果表明:长江中下游地区春季降水量年际和年代际变化较为显著,其中连续旱和连续涝事件发生较多。前冬Ni?o3区的海温与春季和梅雨期降水量相关性超过0.05显著性水平,前冬青藏高原积雪深度与6月西太平洋季风指数与梅雨期降水量相关性均达到0.05显著性水平。当春季水汽丰富,同时春季与6月副热带高压中心位置持续偏西可能导致春季和梅雨期降水持续偏多;春季水汽丰富,但春季至6月副热带高压中心位置由偏西向偏东转变,可能造成先涝后旱;春季水汽偏少,且春季与6月副热带高压中心位置持续异常偏东,易造成持续干旱。2011年水汽突变可能是导致旱涝急转的直接原因,前冬的La Ni?a事件不利于春季降水而6月副热带高压位置异常西伸, 则容易引发旱涝急转。     

2022年夏季中国高温干旱气候特征及成因探讨

2022年夏季,中国中东部发生了极端高温干旱气候异常,给经济、农业、人民生活造成了严重影响。本文回顾了此次高温干旱气候异常的时空特征,分析了其主要成因。2022年夏季,中国中东部区域平均的极端高温频次、日最高温度平均值、高温日数等指标均达到了1979年以来的最大值,区域平均降水则达到了1979年以来的最低值。此次气候异常主要是由于夏季中国中东部受强大的高压系统控制,与偏强的西太副高、中纬度的西风带扰动以及热带海温的影响有关。此外,本文探讨了全球增暖趋势对极端高温事件增多的影响,以及未来中国地区高温和干旱事件的可能变化。     

Teleconnected influence of North Atlantic sea surface temperature on the El Ni?o onset

Influence of North Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies on tropical Pacific SST anomalies is examined. Both summer and winter North Atlantic SST anomalies are negatively related to central-eastern tropical Pacific SST anomalies in the subsequent months varying from 5 to 13?months. In particular, when the North Atlantic is colder than normal in the summer, an El Ni?o event is likely to be initiated in the subsequent spring in the tropical Pacific. Associated with summer cold North Atlantic SST anomalies is an anomalous cyclonic circulation at low-level over the North Atlantic from subsequent October to April. Corresponded to this local response, an SST-induced heating over the North Atlantic produces a teleconnected pattern, similar to the East Atlantic/West Russia teleconnection. The pattern features two anticyclonic circulations near England and Lake Baikal, and two cyclonic circulations over the North Atlantic and near the Caspian Sea. The anticyclonic circulation near Lake Baikal enhances the continent northerlies, and strengthens the East-Asian winter monsoon. These are also associated with an off-equatorial cyclonic circulation in the western Pacific during the subsequent winter and spring, which produces equatorial westerly wind anomalies in the western Pacific. The equatorial westerly wind anomalies in the winter and spring can help initiate a Pacific El Ni?o event following a cold North Atlantic in the summer.     

Causes and predictability of the record wet east Australian spring 2010

In 2010 eastern Australia received its highest springtime (September–November) rainfall since 1900. Based on historical relationships with sea surface temperatures (SST) and other climate indices, this record rainfall in 2010 was shown to be largely commensurate with the occurrence of a very strong La Niña event and an extreme positive excursion of the SAM. The pattern and magnitude of the tropical SST anomalies in austral spring 2010 were diagnosed to be nearly perfect to produce high rainfall across eastern Australia. Key aspects of this SST pattern were the strong cold anomaly in the central equatorial Pacific, and the strong warm anomalies in the eastern Indian Ocean and the far western Pacific to the north of Australia. Although the recent upward trend in SSTs in the western Pacific/eastern Indian Ocean warm pool accounted for about 50 % of the SST anomaly surrounding northern Australia in 2010, the contribution by the warming trend in these SSTs to the Australian rainfall anomaly in 2010 was assessed to be relatively modest. The strong positive swing in SAM was estimated to have accounted for upwards of 40 % of the regional anomaly along the central east coastal region and about 10 % of the area mean anomaly across eastern Australia. This contribution by the SAM suggests that a significant portion of the rainfall in 2010 may not have been seasonally predictable. However, predictability arising from the promotion of high SAM by the extreme La Nina event can not be ruled out.     

Seasonal Prediction of the Record-Breaking Northward Shift of the Western Pacific Subtropical High in July 2021

The unprecedented Zhengzhou heavy rainfall in July 2021 occurred under the background of a northward shift of the western Pacific subtropical high(WPSH). Although the occurrence of this extreme event could not be captured by seasonal predictions, a skillful prediction of the WPSH variation might have warned us of the increased probability of extreme weather events in Central and Northern China. However, the mechanism for the WPSH variation in July2021 and its seasonal predictability are still un...     

Southern Hemisphere extra-tropical forcing: a new paradigm for El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation

The main goal of this paper is to shed additional light on the reciprocal dynamical linkages between mid-latitude Southern Hemisphere climate and the El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) signal. While our analysis confirms that ENSO is a dominant source of interannual variability in the Southern Hemisphere, it is also suggested here that subtropical dipole variability in both the Southern Indian and Atlantic Oceans triggered by Southern Hemisphere mid-latitude variability may also provide a controlling influence on ENSO in the equatorial Pacific. This subtropical forcing operates through various coupled air?Csea feedbacks involving the propagation of subtropical sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies into the deep tropics of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans from boreal winter to boreal spring and a subsequent dynamical atmospheric response to these SST anomalies linking the three tropical basins at the beginning of the boreal spring. This atmospheric response is characterized by a significant weakening of the equatorial Atlantic and Indian Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). This weakened ITCZ forces an equatorial ??cold Kelvin wave?? response in the middle to upper troposphere that extends eastward from the heat sink regions into the western Pacific. By modulating the vertical temperature gradient and the stability of the atmosphere over the equatorial western Pacific Ocean, this Kelvin wave response promotes persistent zonal wind and convective anomalies over the western equatorial Pacific, which may trigger El Ni?o onset at the end of the boreal winter. These different processes explain why South Atlantic and Indian subtropical dipole time series indices are highly significant precursors of the Ni?o34 SST index several months in advance before the El Ni?o onset in the equatorial Pacific. This study illustrates that the atmospheric internal variability in the mid-latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere may significantly influence ENSO variability. However, this surprising relationship is observed only during recent decades, after the so-called 1976/1977 climate regime shift, suggesting a possible linkage with global warming or decadal fluctuations of the climate system.     

On the Second-Year Warming in Late 2019 over the Tropical Pacific and Its Attribution to an Indian Ocean Dipole Event※

After its maturity, El Ni?o usually decays rapidly in the following summer and evolves into a La Ni?a pattern. However, this was not the case for the 2018/19 El Ni?o event. Based on multiple reanalysis data sets, the space-time evolution and triggering mechanism for the unusual second-year warming in late 2019, after the 2018/19 El Ni?o event, are investigated in the tropical Pacific. After a short decaying period associated with the 2018/19 El Ni?o condition, positive sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) re-intensified in the eastern equatorial Pacific in late 2019. Compared with the composite pattern of El Ni?o in the following year, two key differences are evident in the evolution of SSTAs in 2019. First, is the persistence of the surface warming over the central equatorial Pacific in May, and second, is the re-intensification of the positive SSTAs over the eastern equatorial Pacific in September. Observational results suggest that the re-intensification of anomalous westerly winds over the western and central Pacific, induced remotely by an extreme Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) event, acted as a triggering mechanism for the second-year warming in late 2019. That is, the IOD-related cold SSTAs in the eastern Indian Ocean established and sustained anomalous surface westerly winds over the western equatorial Pacific, which induced downwelling Kelvin waves propagating eastward along the equator. At the same time, the subsurface ocean provided plenty of warm water in the western and central equatorial Pacific. Mixed-layer heat budget analyses further confirm that positive zonal advection, induced by the anomalous westerly winds, and thermocline feedback played important roles in leading to the second-year warming in late 2019. This study provides new insights into the processes responsible for the diversity of El Ni?o evolution, which is important for improving the physical understanding and seasonal prediction of El Ni?o events.     

DIAGNOSES OF THE SEVERE DROUGHT OVER YUNNAN AREA IN THE EARLY SUMMER OF 2005

High temperature and drought occurred in Yunnan province during the late spring and early summer in 2005, which was the most severe event in this region since 1950’s. Based on the observational data and relevant diagnoses, this extreme weather event was studied and discussed. The results show that the occurrence of this event could be due to the following observational facts that happened in 2005. (1) The seasonal adjustment of middle-high-leveled atmospheric circulation was delayed. (2) The cold air activity center was deviated north. (3) The onset of summer monsoon over South China Sea was delayed. (4) The tropical convection activity was much weaker than usual. (5) The subtropical high over the western Pacific was located southwestwards and relatively strong.