Radar data assimilation of the GRAPES model and experimental results in a typhoon case

Constructing β-mesoscale weather systems in initial fields remains a challenging problem in a mesoscale numerical weather prediction (NWP) model. Without vertical velocity matching the β-mesoscale weather system, convection activities would be suppressed by downdraft and cooling caused by precipitating hydrometeors. In this study, a method, basing on the three-dimensional variational (3DVAR) assimilation technique, was developed to obtain reasonable structures of β-mesoscale weather systems by assimilating radar data in a next-generation NWP system named GRAPES (the Global and Regional Assimilation and Prediction System) of China. Single-point testing indicated that assimilating radial wind significantly improved the horizontal wind but had little effect on the vertical velocity, while assimilating the retrieved vertical velocity (taking Richardson's equation as the observational operator) can greatly improve the vertical motion. Experiments on a typhoon show that assimilation of the radial wind data can greatly improve the prediction of the typhoon track, and can ameliorate precipitation to some extent. Assimilating the retrieved vertical velocity and rainwater mixing ratio, and adjusting water vapor and cloud water mixing ratio in the initial fields simultaneously, can significantly improve the tropical cyclone rainfall forecast but has little effect on typhoon path. Joint assimilating these three kinds of radar data gets the best results. Taking into account the scale of different weather systems and representation of observational data, data quality control, error setting of background field and observation data are still requiring further in-depth study.     

云南高原山地机场强对流短临预报系统研究

基于天气雷达、地面和探空观测资料、NCEP再分析资料、FNL 数值预报产品,应用强对流天气分类识别技术和短时临近预报技术,开展风暴临近预报、强对流天气分类预警、基于数值预报的强风暴潜势诊断等研究,获得大理、丽江、西双版纳等高原山地机场及周边区域强降水、雷暴、大风、冰雹等灾害性天气的0～2h实时定量预报产品和0～12h强对流天气潜势预报产品,建立可业务运行的机场强对流天气短时临近预报系统。通过检验,证明该预报系统有较好的强对流天气预报预警能力,满足机场业务需求。     

长江中游临近预报业务系统 (MYNOS) 及其应用

针对长江中游强风暴天气特点和现代预报业务需求,在借鉴世界临近预报系统, 特别是美国的Auto-Nowcaster和WDSS-II以及英国的GANDOLF等先进经验的基础上,以我国多普勒天气雷达网为重要技术手段,结合数值预报等信息资源,于2007年研究建成长江中游临近预报业务系统 (MYNOS)。MYNOS主要技术方法包括:雷达与雨量计实时同步积分结合的降水估算方法 (RASIM),雷达反演参量与中尺度模式输出物理量相结合的强风暴性质自动识别和追踪技术,基于暴雨回波生命史特性约束下的多尺度合成降水量临近预报,基于数值预报模式和模糊逻辑学的强对流天气分类落区潜势预报,集GIS功能并整合各种定量监测与预警产品于一体的短时预报工作站。MYNOS已成为短时临近预报业务的支撑平台,其中实时生成的流域定量降水估算与临近预报、强对流天气分类潜势诊断与识别预警产品等成为日常预报业务的重要参考依据。     

2003年4月江西一次强对流天气过程的诊断分析

利用NCEP/NCAR再分析资料、TBB资料、探空资料及多普勒雷达资料等对2003年4月12日发生在江西以及福建北部的强对流天气过程进行了诊断分析。结果表明:此次强对流天气过程是在高空槽和低层低涡切变线的有利形势下产生的, 这种下层暖湿、上层干冷的对流不稳定层结非常有利于强对流天气的产生; 强对流天气发生发展伴有多个中尺度对流云团东移南压的演变过程; 多普勒雷达资料分析表明, 冰雹发生时可观测到79 dBz的反射率因子极值并伴有弓状回波; 对流有效位能积累、释放随时间的演变过程, 对于此次强对流天气过程有很好的指示意义; 强对流天气发生前高层的干冷空气倾斜状向下侵入到对流层中低层附近, 对此次强对流天气的发生发展起了非常重要的作用; 能量锋区及锋区上强的垂直涡柱为该次强对流天气过程提供了有利的热力和动力学条件。     

中国当代强对流天气研究与业务进展

对当代中国几十年来强对流天气研究和业务进展做了阐述，主要包括强对流系统产生的环境背景和主要组织形态，以及具体强对流天气的有利环境条件、触发机制、卫星云图特征、多普勒天气雷达回波特征以及预报、预警技术等诸方面。总体来看，中国学者对强对流以及不同类型强对流天气（强冰雹、龙卷、雷暴大风）发生、发展的环流背景以及通过雷达和卫星观测到的组织结构及其演变特征都已有了明确认识，研究了对流系统的多种触发机制，深入认识了超级单体、飑线等对流系统的环境条件、组织结构特征和维持机制，了解了中国中尺度对流系统的组织形态和气候分布特征，获得了强冰雹、龙卷、下击暴流和雷暴大风等的雷达、卫星和闪电等的多尺度观测特征、形成机制和现场灾害调查特征，发展了各类强对流天气识别、监测和分析方法以及基于“配料法”和深度学习方法等的预报、预警技术等。因此，强对流天气业务预报水平已得到显著提升。      

强对流天气监测预报预警技术进展

强对流天气预报业务包括监测、分析、预报、预警和检验等方面。对流初生识别、对流系统强度识别和对流天气类型识别等监测技术取得新进展,综合多源资料的监测技术已应用于中国气象局中央气象台业务。对流系统的触发、发展和维持机制等获得了新认识,我国不同类型强对流天气及其环境条件统计气候特征、分析规范及相应业务产品等为业务预报提供了必要基础和技术支撑。光流法、多尺度追踪技术以及应用模糊逻辑方法的临近预报技术等有明显进展,融合短时预报技术得到广泛应用,对流可分辨高分辨率数值 (集合) 预报及其后处理产品预报试验取得了显著成效,基于数值 (集合) 预报应用模糊逻辑方法的分类强对流天气短期预报技术为业务预报提供了技术支撑。强对流天气综合监测和多尺度自适应临近预报技术、多尺度分析技术以及融合短时预报技术、发展并应用模糊逻辑等方法的、基于高分辨率数值 (集合) 模式的区分不同强度等级和极端性的分类强对流天气精细化 (概率) 预报技术等是未来发展的主要方向。     

风廓线雷达资料在天气业务中的应用现状与展望

风廓线雷达是目前我国着重规划发展的垂直风廓线探测设备,其探测资料对天气预报预警具有重要价值。本文回顾了风廓线雷达资料在灾害性天气监测和预报中的应用,阐述了业务应用中存在的主要问题和未来发展的方向。风廓线雷达探测产品能够监测不同尺度天气系统的结构和演变,估计降水相态以及雨滴谱分布的云微物理信息,其提供的高空风资料进入快速同化系统和中尺度模式可以提高预报准确率,最后介绍了风廓线雷达单站和组网资料在强对流天气监测和业务中的应用情况,为预报员通过利用风廓线雷达资料了解天气系统的中尺度信息提供了一定的参考。     

提高新一代天气雷达在临近预报中准确率的分析

文章应用新一代天气雷达资料,并结合天气图、T-logp图等资料,对发生于2011年6月13日内蒙古西部巴彦淖尔市东部地区的一次局地强对流天气过程进行了分析。通过分析雷达冰雹概率、垂直累积含水量、回波顶高、风暴追踪信息等产品以及自动站天气实况等发现,用于短时临近预报的雷达冰雹概率及风暴追踪信息产品在该次强对流天气过程中与天气实况并不能很好地符合。其原因:一方面与雷达对风暴的跟踪和SCIT算法有关,另一方面表明天气背景以及短时强对流天气所具有局地性特点在短时临近预报中未能充分考虑。通过该个例的分析,对于业务人员认识本地区的强对流天气发生特点并提高预报准确率具有重要意义。     

Statistics of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Z</Emphasis>–<Emphasis Type="Italic">R</Emphasis> Relationship for Strong Convective Weather over the Yangtze–Huaihe River Basin and Its Application to Radar Reflectivity Data Assimilation for a Heavy Rain Event

The relationship between the radar reflectivity factor (Z) and the rainfall rate (R) is recalculated based on radar observations from 10 Doppler radars and hourly rainfall measurements at 6529 automatic weather stations over the Yangtze–Huaihe River basin. The data were collected by the National 973 Project from June to July 2013 for severe convective weather events. The Z–R relationship is combined with an empirical q_r–R relationship to obtain a new Z–q_r relationship, which is then used to correct the observational operator for radar reflectivity in the three-dimensional variational (3DVar) data assimilation system of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to improve the analysis and prediction of severe convective weather over the Yangtze–Huaihe River basin. The performance of the corrected reflectivity operator used in the WRF 3DVar data assimilation system is tested with a heavy rain event that occurred over Jiangsu and Anhui provinces and the surrounding regions on 23 June 2013. It is noted that the observations for this event are not included in the calculation of the Z–R relationship. Three experiments are conducted with the WRF model and its 3DVar system, including a control run without the assimilation of reflectivity data and two assimilation experiments with the original and corrected reflectivity operators. The experimental results show that the assimilation of radar reflectivity data has a positive impact on the rainfall forecast within a few hours with either the original or corrected reflectivity operators, but the corrected reflectivity operator achieves a better performance on the rainfall forecast than the original operator. The corrected reflectivity operator extends the effective time of radar data assimilation for the prediction of strong reflectivity. The physical variables analyzed with the corrected reflectivity operator present more reasonable mesoscale structures than those obtained with the original reflectivity operator. This suggests that the new statistical Z–R relationship is more suitable for predicting severe convective weather over the Yangtze–Huaihe River basin than the Z–R relationships currently in use.     

全国天气雷达数据处理系统

根据《全国天气雷达终端更新》和《全国天气雷达定标》项目的技术规定,研制了一套完整的雷达业务数据处理系统,实现了全国布网天气雷达数据格式统一、产品生成、产品分发和图像回显的全自动化业务,提高了我国天气雷达网的业务质量、以及数据处理和产品应用水平,收效显著。在研发过程中,充分考虑了业务条件、实际要求和探测技术的发展,系统功能丰富,算法先进,接口开放,设计精美,投入业务两年来系统运行稳定。该系统放弃了传统对话框和工具栏的设计方式,创新设计了操作面板控制。文中的研发思路,设计方法,系统特点对我国业务软件的研制具有很好的借鉴作用。     

基于卷积门控循环单元神经网络的临近预报方法研究

基于天气雷达资料的外推预报是灾害天气0～2h临近预报基础,本文以业务应用为目标,应用广东省2015-2018年11部新一代多普勒雷达反射率拼图资料,研究了基于卷积门控循环单元神经网络ConvGRU的临近预报方法,采用多损失函数加权与分级加权的策略,基于ConvGRU框架建立三层自编码模型(Encoder-Decoder...     

CC天气雷达数据流传输业务台站级监控报警系统的设计与实现

利用UDP组播通信、进程监控、文件监控、网络监控等技术,研发了CC天气雷达数据流传输业务台站级监控报警系统,较早、较好地实现了雷达扫描状态、数据流上行传输、标准格式基数据本地存储、基数据补传、软件运行和网络运行状态的实时监控和短信报警。实践表明,软件运行较稳定,能对数据流传输业务进行有效监控,短信报警准确及时,报警阈值从6min缩短到40s,提升了故障的发现和处理效率,提高了天气雷达业务可用性和数据传输质量,减轻了雷达台站业务人员的值守压力。     

Forecasting weather radar propagation conditions

Summary The increasing use of weather radar quantitative precipitation estimates, particularly in automatic applications such as operational hydrometeorological modelling or assimilation in numerical weather prediction (NWP) models, has promoted the development of quality control procedures on radar data. Anomalous propagation (AP) of the radar beam due to deviation from the standard refractivity vertical profile, is one of the factors that may affect seriously the quality of radar observations because of the increase in quantity and intensity of non-precipitating clutter echoes and consequent contamination of the estimated rainfall field. Another undesired effect of AP is the change in the expected radar echo height, which may be relevant when correcting for beam blockage in radar rainfall estimation in complex terrain. The aim of this paper is to study the use of NWP mesoscale forecasts to predict and monitor AP events. A nested 15-km grid resolution version of the MASS model has been used to retrieve refractivity profiles in the coastal area of Barcelona, near a weather radar and a radiosonde station. Using the refractivity profiles two different magnitudes were computed: the vertical refractivity profile of the lowest 1000 m layer and a ducting index which describes the existence and intensity of the most super-refractive layer contained in the lowest 3-km layer. A comparison between model forecasts and radiosonde diagnostics during a six-month period showed that the model tended to underestimate the degree of super-refraction, with a bias of 4 km⁻¹ and RMSE of 11 km⁻¹ in the 1-km vertical refractivity gradient. Further analysis of the data showed that a combination of previous observations and forecasts allowed to produce modified forecasts improving the original direct model output, decreasing substantially the bias, reducing the RMSE by 20% and improving the skill by 40%, beating also radiosonde observations persistence.     

自动气象站观测资料的中尺度分析及业务应用

介绍了采用Barnes逐步订正客观分析、带通滤波等方法,建立的基于自动气象站高时空分辨率观测资料的精细天气分析和业务应用系统.系统提供了地面风、压、温、湿等气象要素分布及反映大气近地面层动力、热力和湿度条件的物理量产品,并通过MICAPS系统显示,可为灾害天气的监测预警提供精细分析资料.以2006年4月28日影响山东的一次强飑线过程为例,检验了系统分析结果的可靠性和业务应用价值,对业务使用的自动气象站观测资料质量控制、短时预报思路进行了探讨.     

单多普勒天气雷达的中尺度风场探测技术研究

利用1998年6月海峡两岸暴雨试验中收集的香港天文台的多普勒雷达资料、GMS—5红外卫星云图等资料对1998年6月9日00～11UTC的暴雨过程进行综合对比分析。分析结果表明：UW方法反演的低空风场中的中尺度流场系统的位置、移动和生消变化与雷达回波的分布及时间演变完全配合，并且与红外卫星云图有良好的对应，因此可以认为，利用UW方法能够从多普勒速度场反演出风场中的中—β以上尺度的切变线系统，为强对流天气的临近预报提供高效、实用的预警产品。     

沈阳一次局地大暴雨过程中逆风区的回波演变

利用沈阳CINRAD/SA多普勒天气雷达观测资料及加密自动站资料等,对2009年7月11日发生在沈阳西部的中尺度大暴雨天气过程进行分析。结果表明： 雷达1.5°仰角PPI图上有逆风区存在,逆风区出现的时间要比强降水出现的时间早10 min以上,强降水区与逆风区、强回波区、VIL值的大值区有很好的对应关系,逆风区的出现对强对流天气的预报预警有指示作用。     

Evaluation of radar and automatic weather station data assimilation for a heavy rainfall event in southern China

To improve the accuracy of short-term(0–12 h) forecasts of severe weather in southern China, a real-time storm-scale forecasting system, the Hourly Assimilation and Prediction System(HAPS), has been implemented in Shenzhen, China. The forecasting system is characterized by combining the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting(WRF-ARW)model and the Advanced Regional Prediction System(ARPS) three-dimensional variational data assimilation(3DVAR) package. It is capable of assimilating radar reflectivity and radial velocity data from multiple Doppler radars as well as surface automatic weather station(AWS) data. Experiments are designed to evaluate the impacts of data assimilation on quantitative precipitation forecasting(QPF) by studying a heavy rainfall event in southern China. The forecasts from these experiments are verified against radar, surface, and precipitation observations. Comparison of echo structure and accumulated precipitation suggests that radar data assimilation is useful in improving the short-term forecast by capturing the location and orientation of the band of accumulated rainfall. The assimilation of radar data improves the short-term precipitation forecast skill by up to9 hours by producing more convection. The slight but generally positive impact that surface AWS data has on the forecast of near-surface variables can last up to 6–9 hours. The assimilation of AWS observations alone has some benefit for improving the Fractions Skill Score(FSS) and bias scores; when radar data are assimilated, the additional AWS data may increase the degree of rainfall overprediction.     

对流天气预报中的环境场条件分析

中尺度对流天气的分析包括以天气型识别和中尺度过程分析为主的主观分析,以及以动力热力物理参数诊断为主的客观分析。利用"配料法"预报的思路,通过诊断有组织的深厚中尺度对流系统发生、发展的4个条件(水汽、不稳定、抬升和垂直风切变),开发了中尺度对流天气的环境场条件分析技术(对流天气图分析和客观物理量诊断技术),并应用于中国国家气象中心的强对流天气预报。以中尺度对流天气的天气图分析方法为例,介绍如何利用高低空观测资料,分析对流天气发生发展的环境场条件;并以数值模式释用为主的强对流特征物理量诊断分析为例,介绍如何动态诊断对流天气的动力热力条件演变。     

基于昆明市精细化GIS的天气雷达标准格式基数据应用

以国家地理信息公共服务平台、云南数字乡村、Mapinfo公共数据为数据源,在C#开发环境下实现了精细到乡镇、公路、行政村、自然村的昆明市精细化地理信息系统(GIS)的自主研发,解决了基层气象部门缺乏精细化GIS的难题。介绍了标准格式基数据的解析、成图过程及注意事项,在全国范围内较早实现了天气雷达标准格式基数据在基层气象部门的业务应用。在业务应用过程中,发现了CC天气雷达标准格式早期基数据存在回波强度严重减弱的问题;昆明市精细化GIS与昆明天气雷达回波图的融合应用,可以精确定位雷达强回波区,对精细化气象服务具有指导作用,提高了强天气精细化预警能力、短时临近精细化预报能力和防灾减灾能力。     

强对流天气综合监测业务系统建设

强对流天气监测是其预报的基础.国家气象中心强天气预报中心利用多源观测资料(常规和非常规资料)建设了强对流天气综合监测业务系统.强对流天气的监测对象包括积云、地面高温、雷暴、地闪、冰雹、龙卷、大风、雷暴大风、短时强降水、雷暴反射率因子、对流风暴(基于雷达资料)、深对流云及中尺度对流系统(Mesoscale Convective Systems,MCS,基于静止卫星红外1通道资料)等不同时段的分布.发展的监测技术主要包括自动站资料质量控制技术、强对流信息提取和统计技术、直角坐标交叉相关雷达回波追踪(Cartesian Tracking Radar Echoes by Correlation,CTREC)技术、雷暴识别追踪分析和临近预报(Thunderstorm Identification Tracking Analysis and Nowcasting,TITAN)技术、深对流云识别技术、中尺度对流系统识别和追踪技术,以及闪电密度监测技术等.强对流天气监测系统自动定时运行,其输出数据与MICAPS业务平台完全兼容.该监测系统在国家气象中心的强对流天气预报业务中发挥了重要作用.