Spatial and temporal characteristics of wet spells in Greece

Summary This study examines the characteristics of wet spells in Greece, using daily rainfall gauge data, over a 40-year period (1958–1997). The longest wet spells, computed for two different thresholds (0.1mm and 1mm), were observed in Western Greece and Crete, whereas the shortest ones were found in the central and south Aegean. A detailed analysis of the wet spells, dividing them into three classes, shows that on an annual basis their highest frequencies were observed in Western and Northwestern Greece. The seasonal results are also quite similar. The trends and the variability of the mean length of the wet spells were also analyzed. Negative trends were found in the case of the year-to-year analysis and during winter. Finally, this study presents an evaluation of two theoretical distribution models; the second order Markov Chains (MC2) and the Negative Binomial Distribution (NBD), by their adjustment to the empirical data. Both models can be used in the future for an estimation of the wet spells in the area under study.     

"三伏"的气候学定义和区划

三伏由秦汉时盛行的五行学说延伸而来,主要指中原地区气候上一年中最闷热的一段时期.利用1960~2004年我国范围内432站观测的逐日最低(Tmin)、最高气温(Tmax)和湿度值构建人体舒适度指数(THI),并分三伏区、准三伏区、潜在三伏区和非三伏区辨识了我国的气候三伏特征及其在时间上的跃变,得到华北、江淮和江南3个地...     

Fitting the distribution of dry and wet spells with alternative probability models

The development of the rainfall occurrence model is greatly important not only for data-generation purposes, but also in providing informative resources for future advancements in water-related sectors, such as water resource management and the hydrological and agricultural sectors. Various kinds of probability models had been introduced to a sequence of dry (wet) days by previous researchers in the field. Based on the probability models developed previously, the present study is aimed to propose three types of mixture distributions, namely, the mixture of two log series distributions (LSD), the mixture of the log series Poisson distribution (MLPD), and the mixture of the log series and geometric distributions (MLGD), as the alternative probability models to describe the distribution of dry (wet) spells in daily rainfall events. In order to test the performance of the proposed new models with the other nine existing probability models, 54 data sets which had been published by several authors were reanalyzed in this study. Also, the new data sets of daily observations from the six selected rainfall stations in Peninsular Malaysia for the period 1975–2004 were used. In determining the best fitting distribution to describe the observed distribution of dry (wet) spells, a Chi-square goodness-of-fit test was considered. The results revealed that the new method proposed that MLGD and MLPD showed a better fit as more than half of the data sets successfully fitted the distribution of dry and wet spells. However, the existing models, such as the truncated negative binomial and the modified LSD, were also among the successful probability models to represent the sequence of dry (wet) days in daily rainfall occurrence.     

Statistical modeling of CMIP5 projected changes in extreme wet spells over China in the late 21st century

The observed intensity, frequency, and duration (IFD) of summer wet spells, defined here as extreme events with one or more consecutive days in which daily precipitation exceeds a given threshold (the 95th percentile), and their future changes in RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 in the late 21st century over China, are investigated by using the wet spell model (WSM) and by extending the point process approach to extreme value analysis. Wet spell intensity is modeled by a conditional generalized Pareto distribution, frequency by a Poisson distribution, and duration by a geometric distribution, respectively. The WSM is able to realistically model summer extreme rainfall spells during 1961–2005, as verified with observations at 553 stations throughout China. To minimize the impact of systematic biases over China in the global climate models (GCMs) of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5), five best GCMs are selected based on their performance to reproduce observed wet spell IFD and average precipitation during the historical period. Furthermore, a quantile–quantile scaling correction procedure is proposed and applied to produce ensemble projections of wet spell IFD and corresponding probability distributions. The results show that in the late 21st century, most of China will experience more extreme rainfall and less low-intensity rainfall. The intensity and frequency of wet spells are projected to increase considerably, while the duration of wet spells will increase but to a much less extent. The IFD changes in RCP8.5 are in general much larger than those in RCP4.5.     

Spatial trends of dry spells over Peninsular Malaysia during monsoon seasons

This study aims to trace changes in the dry spells over Peninsular Malaysia based on the daily rainfall data from 36 selected rainfall stations which include four subregions, namely northwest, west, southwest, and east for the periods of 1975 to 2004. Six dry spell indices comprising of the main characteristics of dry spells, the persistency of dry events, and the frequency of the short and long duration of dry spells will be used to identify whether or not these indices have increased or decreased over Peninsular Malaysia during the monsoon seasons. The findings of this study indicate that the northwestern areas of the Peninsular could be considered as the driest area since almost all the indices of dry spells over these areas are higher than in the other regions during the northeast (NE) monsoon. Based on the individual and the field significant trends, the results of the Mann–Kendall test indicate that as the total number of dry days, the maximum duration, the mean, and the persistency of dry days are decreased, the trend of the frequency of long dry spells of at least 4 days is also found to decrease in almost all the stations over the Peninsula; however, an increasing trend is observed in the frequency of short spells in these stations during the NE monsoon season. On the other hand, during the southwest monsoon, a positive trend is observed in the characteristics of dry spells including the persistency of two dry days in many stations over the Peninsula. The frequency of longer dry periods exhibits a decreasing trend in most stations over the western areas during both monsoon seasons for the periods of 1975 to 2004.     

Spatial and temporal characteristics of wet spells in the Yangtze River Basin from 1961 to 2003

Daily precipitation records of 147 meteorological stations over the Yangtze River Basin have permitted a detailed analysis of the spatio-temporal distribution of wet spells during the period 1961–2003 by distinguishing average daily amount thresholds of 90th and 95th percentiles. The analysis are based on several time series, namely the number of the days in wet spells, the longest wet spell and the precipitation amount in wet spells. Time series trends analyses are compiled for each station by means of the Mann-Kendall test, for four sub-regions. The results show that the annual precipitation in wet spells is higher in the southeast area and the eastern Tibetan Plateau than in the other parts. The longest wet spells are found in the eastern Tibetan Plateau for both the thresholds. The indices in wet spells for most stations have no significant trends. In contrast, only some stations in eastern Tibetan Plateau and the lower Yangtze River Basin increase significantly, while some in the middle reaches show significant decreasing trends. The regional trends analysis presents a noticeable downward trend in the middle Yangtze River Basin and upward trends in the eastern Tibetan Plateau for both 90th and 95th percentiles, however, the upward trend in the lower Yangtze River Basin and downward trends in the upper Jinshajiang River Basin are not significant.     

中国泛华北地区冷季高架对流特征气候统计分析

本文利用常规地面、高空、区域自动站观测资料、灾害性强对流天气监测记录资料以及NCEP分析数据,对2000—2015年泛华北地区(32.5°~53.5°N、105°~135°E)冷季(除6、7、8月以外)高架对流时空分布特征、锋面环境特征以及不稳定机制进行统计分析。研究发现,泛华北地区冷季高架对流多发生于河南中北部、山东西部及河北中南部。从季节分布来看,2和11月是冷季高架对流发生最多的月份,呈"双峰型"分布特征。冷锋是引发泛华北地区冷季高架对流的主要锋面系统,约占高架对流事件总数的60%。高架对流发生时常伴随有较强的冷垫及锋面逆温,有超过半数的高架对流发生在温差超过6℃的逆温层之上。逆温层顶高多位于850hPa之上甚至能达到700hPa。高架对流发生时多伴随有20~30m·s~(-1)的0~6km强垂直风切变,这一强斜压特征有利于条件对称不稳定及其导致的高架倾斜对流的发生。经过分类与统计发现,条件对称不稳定和弱条件稳定度或近湿中性大气层结下的锋生强迫引发的较强上升运动是造成华北冷季高架对流的主要不稳定机制。     

Climatology of Cloud-base Height from Long-term Radiosonde Measurements in China

Clouds are critical to the global radiation budget and hydrological cycle, but knowledge is still poor concerning the observed climatology of cloud-base height(CBH) in China. Based on fine-resolution sounding observations from the China Radiosonde Network(CRN), the method used to estimate CBH was modified, and uncertainty analyses indicated that the CBH is good enough. The accuracy of CBH estimation is verified by the comparison between the sounding-derived CBHs and those estimated from the micro-pulse lidar and millimeter-wave cloud radar. As such, the CBH climatology was compiled for the period 2006–16. Overall, the CBH exhibits large geographic variability across China, at both 0800 Local Standard Time(LST) and 2000 LST, irrespective of season. In addition, the summertime cloud base tends to be elevated to higher altitudes in dry regions [i.e., Inner Mongolia and the North China Plain(NCP)]. By comparison, the Tibetan Plateau(TP),Pearl River Delta(PRD) and Sichuan Basin(SCB) have relatively low CBHs( 2.4 km above ground level). In terms of seasonality, the CBH reaches its maximum in summer and minimum in winter. A low cloud base tends to occur frequently( 70%) over the TP, PRD and SCB. In contrast, at most sites over the Yangtze River Delta(YRD) and the NCP, about half the cloud belongs to the high-cloud category. The CBH does not exhibit marked diurnal variation in summer, throughout all CRN sites, probably due to the persistent cloud coverage caused by the East Asia Summer Monsson. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first CBH climatology produced from sounding measurements in China, and provides a useful reference for obtaining observational cloud base information.     

中国夏季极端酷暑的气候统计和趋势分析

Based on the daily maximum air temperature data from 300 stations in China from 1958 to 2008, the climatological distribution of the number of days with high temperature extremes （HTEs, maximum temperatures higher than 35℃） are studied with a focus on the long-term trends. Although the number of HTE days display well-defined sandwich spatial structures with significant decreasing trends in central China and increasing trends in northern China and southern China, the authors show that the decrease of HTE days in central China occurs mainly in the early period before the 1980s, and a significant increase of HTE days dominates most of the stations after the 1980s. The authors also reveal that there is a jump-like acceleration in the number of HTE days at most stations across China since the mid 1990s, especially in South China, East China, North China, and northwest China.     

中国云气候特征的分析

利用1983年7月至2001年8月的ISCCP卫星总云量资料, 分析了我国总云量的空间分布特征, 并将全国用193个网格点表示, 采用聚类分析方法, 按照总云量年内变化规律相同的原则将中国分为3个区, 逐区讨论了总云量的年内变化特征;同时, 分析了18年来中国总云量的变化趋势。最后利用奇异值分解法(SVD)找到了我国青藏高原冬季总云量与全国夏季降水的高相关区, 证明青藏高原总云量与我国东北降水正相关密切。     

Climatology Comparison Studies of Precipitations Between GPCP and Rain Gauges in China

The Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) monthly rainfall data and the rainfall records observed by 740 rain gauges in the mainland of China are used to analyze similarities and differences of the precipitation in China in the period from January 1980 to December 2000. Results expose significantly consistent rainfall distributions between the both data in multi-year mean, multi-year seasonal mean, and multi-year monthly mean. Departures of monthly rainfall for each dataset also show a high correlation with an over 0.8 correlation coefficient. Analysis indicates small differences of both datasets during autumn, winter, and spring, but relative large ones in summer. Generally, the GPCP has trend of overestimating the rainfall rate. Based on above good relationship of both datasets, the GPCP data are used to represent distributions and variations of precipitation in the Tibetan Plateau and Northwest China. Results indicate positive departures of precipitation in summer in the west part of Tibetan Plateau in the 1980s and negative departures after the 1980s. For the west part of Northwest China, analysis illustrates precipitation decreases a little, but no clear variation tendency.     

中国龙卷的时空分布特征

为研究登陆台风引发的龙卷过程特点,从而提高对其监测、潜势预报预警能力,通过2018年8月18日安徽灵璧龙卷的现场灾情调查,并利用地面加密自动站、欧洲再分析资料（ERA5）,结合蚌埠多普勒天气雷达和阜阳S波段双偏振雷达资料,分析了龙卷发生时的气象要素、大气环流、关键物理量及雷达回波特征。结果表明：此次龙卷发生时伴随有气压陡降陡升、气温剧烈下降、大风和短时强降水等,强度为EF0级,位于台风“温比亚”中心东北象限,具有对流有效位能（CAPE）和风暴水平相对螺旋度（SRH）的最佳配置,0—1 km SRH最大值为149 m²·s^-2,当垂直螺旋度（H_3l）增大时,龙卷发生。两部雷达均能探测到超级单体的钩状回波,中心反射率达60 dBz左右,存在有界弱回波、回波悬垂。当中气旋的形状由椭圆形向圆形转变、龙卷涡旋特征（TVS）的低层径向速度差迅速增大时,灵璧发生龙卷灾害。另外,双偏振雷达可探测165 km处超级单体的钩状回波,对龙卷的探测范围更广,并能识别出更明显的正负速度对和龙卷碎片特征（TDS）,对龙卷有更强的探测能力。

     

Trends of summer dry spells in China during the late twentieth century

Summary In the present study the trends in frequency and duration of dry spells in six sub-regions of China were analyzed for the summer-half-year season (April–September) in period 1956–2000. A dry spell was defined as a number of consecutive days without measurable precipitation. For the frequency of short dry spells (length <10 days), significant changes are observed in the North, Northeast and Southwest China. For the frequency of long dry spells (length 10 days) there are significant trends in North and Northeast China; while no remarkable trends in frequency are found in other regions. There are also significant lengthening trends in dry spell duration in North and Northeast China, resulting mainly from the long-term changes in short dry spells. No significant change is observed for the maximum length in all regions. It is found that the temporal distribution of precipitation within the rainy season would notably impact the features of dry spells. An increase in the precipitation amount does not necessarily mean a synchronous reduction in dry spell frequency and/or duration. Seasonal mean anomalies of 500hPa heights in association with the long dry spells show similar spatial patterns over the middle to high latitudes for five of the six sub-regions (with exception of the case of Southwest China), resembling a west–east direction dipole in latitudes about 30°N northwards. For the case of Southwest China the dominant feature in 500hPa heights is the negative anomalies over most middle to high latitude Asia. Among these cases there are recognizable differences, particularly, in the tropical regions in western Pacific. That would provide useful information of circulation background for understanding the climate extremes.     

华南冬季极端低温事件的统计建模及未来预估

基于1961—2005年华南冬季逐日最低温度观测资料,以及参与CMIP5的IPSL-CM5A-MR、MPI-ESM-MR、CMCC-CMS 3个模式的历史模拟和未来排放情景预估数据,从过程角度定义和提取华南冬季极端低温事件及其特征指标,并通过引入极值理论构建极端低温事件的概率分布模型(Cold Spell Model, CSM),刻画其强度、频数和持续时间特征分布;进一步结合基于累计概率分布变换的偏差订正方法降低模式模拟的偏差,探讨了RCP4.5情景下全球升温1.5℃和2℃时极端低温事件的风险变化。研究表明：(1)CSM模型能够较好地拟合极端低温特征概率分布,大部分台站通过了K-S或卡方检验;(2)相对于观测,模式模拟极端低温存在一定偏差,经偏差订正后,各站点BS评分接近于0,SS评分普遍提高到0.88左右;(3)全球增暖背景下,华南地区极端低温呈现强度减弱、频数减少、持续时间缩短的特征。全球增暖1.5、2.0℃背景下,华南大多数地区极端低温事件平均强度减弱,频次降低,持续时间变化具有明显的空间差异;每年发生1次极端低温事件的概率增加,但每年发生3、5次的概率减少;增暖1.5℃下极端低...     

影响我国北方冬半年气旋的气候特征及年际变率

本文首先对气旋进行了客观定义,实现了气旋的自动识别与跟踪算法,利用NCEP/NCAR再分析资料建立了近60年(1951～2010)我国北方冬半年气旋活动数据集。对气旋的气候特征与年际变率进行了探讨。结果表明:蒙古国中西部、雅布洛诺夫山脉东麓等为主要气旋源地;蒙古国东南部、内蒙古东南部、松嫩平原是气旋活跃区;内蒙古东南部、东北地区中北部为气旋消亡区与快速填塞区;初春、仲秋季节气旋较活跃,冬季气旋最少;随季节推移,气旋活动区域向南、向东推进;气旋移动以偏东路径居多,其次是东南、东北路径;700 hPa风场对气旋移动趋势具有较好的指示意义;24 h标准加深率大于0.5 Bergeron的快速发展气旋,位于内蒙古东部、东北地区中北部、日本海中部等地;爆发性气旋则主要位于日本海附近,我国大陆极少;极端最强气旋主要集中在1980年代以前的仲秋与初春;1980年代以来,气旋频次相对较少,强气旋有逐渐增加的趋势;气旋频次减少与东亚中高纬度大气低层斜压性减弱有关。     

Intraseasonal wind anomalies related to wet and dry spells during the “long” and “short” rainy seasons in Kenya

Summary The largest part of Kenya exhibits two major rainy seasons, the March–May «long rains» and the October–December «short rains», both related to the passage of the ITCZ, but differing in the amount of rainfall recorded and its interannual variability. In order to investigate whether these differences also apply at intraseasonal time-scales, daily rainfall data for the peak month of each rainy season (April and November) were collected for 7 consecutive years (1982–1988). The network comprises 68 stations, from which a classification of the spatial patterns of daily rainfall anomalies has been performed. Wind anomalies corresponding to the various rainfall types and to specific regional rainfall departures were determined using four pilot balloon stations and one radiosonde station. They revealed that there exist significant differences between upper-air circulation anomalies exhibited in the «long» and «short» rainy seasons, especially as far as rain spells in the Eastern Highlands are concerned. In that region, easterly anomalies in the «short rains» period are associated with an increase in rainfall. During the «long rains», enhanced easterlies more generally coincide with an overall drop of convection in the country. In Western Kenya, wet conditions are more systematically associated to westerly wind anomalies.With 12 Figures     

Climatology of hail in France

Within the framework of a doctoral thesis in geography, we endeavored to draw up the first map showing hail risk in France. The creation of this map is mainly based on the data of hail measuring networks. This map is corroborated, moreover, by the analysis of hail damage maps. Insurance data used to measure relative hail damage are the base premium rate levels expressed as a percentage of assets insured on a single crop, in this case grapes. These levels reflect well, over the long term, the regional hierarchy of damage, without it being necessary to correlate them directly in terms of frequency and intensity of hail. The regions that suffer the most hail stretch from the southwest to the east-central area of France, passing through the Massif Central. One must also note the southern Alps as a strongly hail-prone region. From the diagonal line of high hail risk emerge two gradients of decreasing intensity and frequency of hail. Toward the west, the risk of hail diminishes strongly, attaining a minimum level in Brittany and on the English Channel coast. Toward the southeast, hail diminishes near the Mediterranean coast. The climatological explanations of this map are so far only hypotheses. Hail is not the exclusive feature of a single climate; it seems on the contrary to be the hallmark of regions of climatic contact. The line of maximal hail risk is situated at the frontier between the oceanic and Mediterranean influences. This conflict is readily measurable in the southwest part of France where the pyrenees channel the Mediterranean influences at low levels. The map of hail risk is also the reflection of the probability of southwestern flow at high altitudes. In the east-central area of France (around Lyon), the local topography can amplify hail energy especially on leeward slopes.