Long-term changes of climate and hydrological regime in the Baltic region and their causes

A complex analysis is made of the variability of climatic, hydrological, and oceanological processes and environmental factors in the Baltic Sea region in the 20th century and at the beginning of the 21st century. The cause-and-effect relations between the climate dynamics over the North Atlantic and hydrometeorological conditions in the Baltic basin are established. Different variants of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) indices were used as an atmospheric circulation intensity measure.     

Storm surges in the Western Baltic Sea: the present and a possible future

Globally-coupled climate models are generally capable of reproducing the observed trends in the globally averaged atmospheric temperature or mean sea level. However, the global models do not perform as well on regional/local scales. Here, we present results from four 100-year ocean model experiments for the Western Baltic Sea. In order to simulate storm surges in this region, we have used the General Estuarine Transport Model (GETM) as a high-resolution local model (spatial resolution ≈ 1?km), nested into a regional atmospheric and regional oceanic model in a fully baroclinic downscaling approach. The downscaling is based on the global model ECHAM5/MPI-OM. The projections are imbedded into two greenhouse-gas emission scenarios, A1B and B1, for the period 2000–2100, each with two realisations. Two control runs from 1960 to 2000 are used for validation. We use this modelling system to statistically reproduce the present distribution of surge extremes. The usage of the high-resolution local model leads to an improvement in surge heights of at least 10% compared to the driving model. To quantify uncertainties associated with climate projections, we investigate the impact of enhanced wind velocities and changes in mean sea levels. The analysis revealed a linear dependence of surge height and mean sea level, although the slope parameter is spatially varying. Furthermore, the modelling system is used to project possible changes within the next century. The results show that the sea level rise has greater potential to increase surge levels than does increased wind speed. The simulations further indicate that the changes in storm surge height in the scenarios can be consistently explained by the increase in mean sea level and variation in wind speed.     

Uncertainties in the regional climate models simulations of South-Asian summer monsoon and climate change

The uncertainties in the regional climate models (RCMs) are evaluated by analyzing the driving global data of ERA40 reanalysis and ECHAM5 general circulation models, and the downscaled data of two RCMs (RegCM4 and PRECIS) over South-Asia for the present day simulation (1971–2000) of South-Asian summer monsoon. The differences between the observational datasets over South-Asia are also analyzed. The spatial and the quantitative analysis over the selected climatic regions of South-Asia for the mean climate and the inter-annual variability of temperature, precipitation and circulation show that the RCMs have systematic biases which are independent from different driving datasets and seems to come from the physics parameterization of the RCMs. The spatial gradients and topographically-induced structure of climate are generally captured and simulated values are within a few degrees of the observed values. The biases in the RCMs are not consistent with the biases in the driving fields and the models show similar spatial patterns after downscaling different global datasets. The annual cycle of temperature and rainfall is well simulated by the RCMs, however the RCMs are not able to capture the inter-annual variability. ECHAM5 is also downscaled for the future (2071–2100) climate under A1B emission scenario. The climate change signal is consistent between ECHAM5 and RCMs. There is warming over all the regions of South-Asia associated with increasing greenhouse gas concentrations and the increase in summer mean surface air temperature by the end of the century ranges from 2.5 to 5 °C, with maximum warming over north western parts of the domain and 30 % increase in rainfall over north eastern India, Bangladesh and Myanmar.     

Potential increase of flood hazards in Korea due to global warming from a high-resolution regional climate simulation

Because of the importance of the changes in the hydrologic cycle, accurate assessment of precipitation characteristics is essential to understand the impact of climate change due to global warming. This study investigates the changes in extreme precipitation with sub-daily and daily temporal scales. For a fine-scale climate change projection focusing on the Korean peninsula (20 km), we performed the dynamical downscaling of the global climate scenario covering the period 1971?C2100 (130-year) simulated by the Max-Planck-Institute global climate model, ECHAM5, using the latest version of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) regional climate model, RegCM3. While annual mean precipitation exhibits a pronounced interannual and interdecadal variability, with the increasing or decreasing trend repeated during a certain period, extreme precipitation with sub-daily and daily temporal scales estimated from the generalized extreme value distribution shows consistently increasing pattern. The return period of extreme precipitation is significantly reduced despite the decreased annual mean precipitation at the end of 21^st century. The decreased relatively weak precipitation is responsible for the decreased total precipitation, so that the decreased total precipitation does not necessarily mean less heavy precipitation. Climate change projection based on the ECHAM5-RegCM3 model chain clearly shows the effect of global warming in increasing the intensity and frequency of extreme precipitation, even without significantly increased total precipitation, which implies an increased risk for flood hazards.     

中国地区IPCC A1B情景下21世纪中期气候变化的数值模拟试验

利用MM5V3区域气候模式单向嵌套ECHAM5全球环流模式的结果,对中国地区实际温室气体浓度下当代气候(1981—2000年)及IPCC A1B情景下21世纪中期气候(2041—2060年)分别进行了水平分辨率为50 km的模拟试验。首先检验全球和区域模式对当代气候的模拟情况,结果表明:区域模式对中国地区地面温度和降水空间分布的模拟能力优于全球模式;与实际观测相比,区域模式模拟的地面温度在中国大部分地区偏低,模拟的降水量偏多,降水位置偏北。IPCCA1B情景下中国地区21世纪中期气候变化的模式结果显示:各季节地面温度在全国范围内都将比当代升高1.2～3.9℃,且升温幅度具有北方大于南方、冬季大于夏季的时空分布特征;降水变化具有一定的区域性和季节性,秋季和冬季降水在全国大部分地区都将增加10%～30%,春季和夏季降水则呈现"北方减少、南方增多"的趋势,变化幅度在-10%～10%之间。21世纪中期地面温度和降水变化还具有一定的年际特征:地面温度在中国地区各子区域均表现为上升趋势,升温速率在0.7～0.9℃/10a之间,温度变率也比当代有所增大;降水在西北地区略呈下降趋势,在其它子区域均为上升,降水变率的变化具有区域性特征。     

Baltic Sea climate in the late twenty-first century: a dynamical downscaling approach using two global models and two emission scenarios

A regional ocean circulation model was used to project Baltic Sea climate at the end of the twenty-first century. A set of four scenario simulations was performed utilizing two global models and two forcing scenarios. To reduce model biases and to spin up future salinity the so-called Δ-change approach was applied. Using a regional coupled atmosphere–ocean model 30-year climatological monthly mean changes of atmospheric surface data and river discharge into the Baltic Sea were calculated from previously conducted time slice experiments. These changes were added to reconstructed atmospheric surface fields and runoff for the period 1903–1998. The total freshwater supply (runoff and net precipitation) is projected to increase between 0 and 21%. Due to increased westerlies in winter the annual mean wind speed will be between 2 and 13% larger compared to present climate. Both changes will cause a reduction of the average salinity of the Baltic Sea between 8 and 50%. Although salinity in the entire Baltic might be significantly lower at the end of the twenty-first century, deep water ventilation will very likely only slightly change. The largest change is projected for the secondary maximum of sea water age within the halocline. Further, the average temperature will increase between 1.9 and 3.2°C. The temperature response to atmospheric changes lags several months. Future annual maximum sea ice extent will decrease between 46 and 77% in accordance to earlier studies. However, in contrast to earlier results in the warmest scenario simulation one ice-free winter out of 96 seasons was found. Although wind speed changes are uniform, extreme sea levels may increase more than the mean sea level. In two out of four projections significant changes of 100-year surge heights were found.     

Recent past and future patterns of the Etesian winds based on regional scale climate model simulations

The aim of this work is to investigate the recent past and future patterns of the Etesian winds, one of the most persistent localized wind systems in the world, which dominates the wind regime during warm period over the Aegean Sea and eastern Mediterranean. An objective classification method, the Two Step Cluster Analysis (TSCA), is applied on daily data from regional climate model simulations carried out with RegCM3 for the recent past (1961–1990) and future periods (2021–2050 and 2071–2100) constrained at lateral boundaries either by ERA-40 reanalysis fields or the global circulation model (GCM) ECHAM5. Three distinct Etesian patterns are identified by TSCA with the location and strength of the anticyclonic action center dominating the differences among the patterns. In case of the first Etesian pattern there is a ridge located over western and central Europe while for the other two Etesian patterns the location of the ridge moves eastward indicating a strong anticyclonic center over the Balkans. The horizontal and vertical spatial structure of geopotential height and the vertical velocity indicates that in all three Etesian patterns the anticyclonic action center over central Europe or Balkan Peninsula cannot be considered as an extension of the Azores high. The future projections for the late 21st century under SRES A1B scenario indicate a strengthening of the Etesian winds associated with the strengthening of the anticyclonic action center, and the deepening of Asian thermal Low over eastern Mediterranean. Furthermore the future projections indicate a weakening of the subsidence over eastern Mediterranean which is rather controlled by the deepening of the south Asian thermal Low in line with the projected in future weakening of South Asian monsoon and Hadley cell circulations.     

高分辨率区域气候变化降尺度数据对京津冀地区高温GDP和人口暴露度的集合预估

基于RCP4.5（中等温室气体排放）情景下5个全球模式模拟结果的降尺度数据,及SSP2社会经济路径下的GDP和人口密度数据,对21世纪京津冀地区（北京、天津和河北的统称）未来2021—2040年（近期)、2046—2065年（中期)、2080—2099年（末期）的高温GDP和人口暴露度进行多模式集合预估。结果表明：未来京津冀地区热事件将增加,21世纪末期京津冀东南部平原和沿海地区的闷热事件、中部平原地区的高温事件出现频率明显增加。GDP和人口暴露度大值区主要分布在北京、天津、保定、石家庄和邯郸等经济发达、交通便利、人口聚集的城市及其周边地区。21世纪京津冀地区的GDP暴露度区域平均值持续增加,21世纪末期多年平均值约为参照时段的58.9倍;各城市的区域平均值也表现出一致增加。京津冀地区人口暴露度区域平均值在21世纪中期达到最大,为参照时段的2.3倍;北京、秦皇岛、张家口、承德和唐山人口暴露度区域平均值将持续增长,其他城市人口暴露度区域平均值在21世纪中期达到最大。GDP暴露度的变化主要取决于非线性因子,且其贡献率随时间逐渐增加,到21世纪末期可达70.9%。21世纪近期和中期人口暴露度的变化主要取决于非线性因子,气候因子在末期占主导地位。     

全球海气耦合模式对中国区域年代际气候变化预测能力的评估

利用中亚地区30个观测台站逐月降水资料及同期ERA-40再分析资料,结合8个CMIP5全球气候模式模拟与未来预估大尺度环流场,使用基于变形典型相关分析的统计降尺度方法（BP-CCA）建立降尺度模型,评估多个气候模式对当前气候下中亚地区春季降水的降尺度模拟能力,并对春季降水进行降尺度集合未来预估。结果表明,建立的降尺度模型能够很好地模拟出交叉检验期内春季降水的时间变化和空间结构：降尺度春季降水与相应观测序列的平均时间相关系数为0.35,最高为0.62,平均空间相关系数为0.87。气候模式对中亚春季降水的模拟能力通过降尺度方法得到了显著提高：8个模式降尺度后模拟的降水气候平均态相对误差绝对值降至0.2%—8%,相比降尺度前减小了10%—60%,模拟的降水量场与相应观测场的空间相关均超过0.77;对比降尺度前多模式集合结果,多模式降尺度集合模拟的相对误差绝对值由64%减小至4%,空间相关系数由0.47增大至0.81,标准化均方根误差降至0.59,且多模式降尺度集合结果优于大部分单个模式降尺度结果。多模式降尺度集合预估结果表明,在RCP4.5排放情景下,21世纪前期（2016—2035年）、中期（2046—2065年）和末期（2081—2100年）的全区平均降水变化率分别为-5.3%、3.0%和17.4%。21世纪前期中亚大部分地区降水呈减少趋势,降水呈增多趋势的站点主要分布在南部。21世纪中期整体降水变化率由减少变为增多趋势,21世纪末期中亚大部分台站降水增多较为明显。21世纪初期和末期可信度高的台站均主要位于中亚西部地区。     

Spatial and Temporal Features of Synoptic and Mesoscale Variability of the Baltic Sea Level

The spatial and temporal features of synoptic and mesoscale variability of the Baltic Sea level are studied using long-term hourly data. The spectral analysis revealed significant difference in the structure of the sea level spectra between the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland. The maximum variance of the synoptic sea level variability is observed at the head of the Gulf of Bothnia and in the southwestern part of the Baltic Sea, whereas the maximum variance of mesoscale variability is registered at the head of the Gulf of Finland and in the southwestern part of the sea. The minimum variance of synoptic sea level variability was observed in the Gulf of Bothnia in the 1950s–1960s, and the maximum was recorded at the beginning and at the end of the 20th century. The series of interdecadal variability of synoptic sea level fluctuations have a weak negative trend up to ?0.11 cm²/year in Kungsholmfrost. A significant qualitative and quantitative correlation was detected between the interannual variability of variance of mesoscale sea level variations in the Gulf of Finland (Gornyi Institut) and the Gulf of Riga (Parnu) and the interannual variability of the NAO index.     

基于BP-CCA统计降尺度的中亚春季降水的多模式集合模拟与预估

利用中亚地区30个观测台站逐月降水资料及同期ERA-40再分析资料,结合8个CMIP5全球气候模式模拟与未来预估大尺度环流场,使用基于变形典型相关分析的统计降尺度方法（BP-CCA）建立降尺度模型,评估多个气候模式对当前气候下中亚地区春季降水的降尺度模拟能力,并对春季降水进行降尺度集合未来预估。结果表明,建立的降尺度模型能够很好地模拟出交叉检验期内春季降水的时间变化和空间结构：降尺度春季降水与相应观测序列的平均时间相关系数为0.35,最高为0.62,平均空间相关系数为0.87。气候模式对中亚春季降水的模拟能力通过降尺度方法得到了显著提高：8个模式降尺度后模拟的降水气候平均态相对误差绝对值降至0.2%—8%,相比降尺度前减小了10%—60%,模拟的降水量场与相应观测场的空间相关均超过0.77;对比降尺度前多模式集合结果,多模式降尺度集合模拟的相对误差绝对值由64%减小至4%,空间相关系数由0.47增大至0.81,标准化均方根误差降至0.59,且多模式降尺度集合结果优于大部分单个模式降尺度结果。多模式降尺度集合预估结果表明,在RCP4.5排放情景下,21世纪前期（2016—2035年）、中期（2046—2065年）和末期（2081—2100年）的全区平均降水变化率分别为-5.3%、3.0%和17.4%。21世纪前期中亚大部分地区降水呈减少趋势,降水呈增多趋势的站点主要分布在南部。21世纪中期整体降水变化率由减少变为增多趋势,21世纪末期中亚大部分台站降水增多较为明显。21世纪初期和末期可信度高的台站均主要位于中亚西部地区。     

The impact of global warming on the Southern Oscillation Index

The Southern Oscillation Index (SOI)??a measure of air pressure difference across the Pacific Ocean, from Tahiti in the south-east to Darwin in the west??is one of the world??s most important climatic indices. The SOI is used to track and predict changes in both the El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation phenomenon, and the Walker Circulation (WC). During El Ni?o, for example, the WC weakens and the SOI tends to be negative. Climatic variations linked to changes in the WC have a profound influence on climate, ecosystems, agriculture, and societies in many parts of the world. Previous research has shown that (1) the WC and the SOI weakened in recent decades and that (2) the WC in climate models tends to weaken in response to elevated atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. Here we examine changes in the SOI and air pressure across the Pacific in the observations and in numerous WCRP/CMIP3 climate model integrations for both the 20th and 21st centuries. The difference in mean-sea level air pressure (MSLP) between the eastern and western equatorial Pacific tends to weaken during the 21st century, consistent with previous research. Here we show that this primarily arises because of an increase in MSLP in the west Pacific and not a decline in the east. We also show, in stark contrast to expectations, that the SOI actually tends to increase during the 21st century, not decrease. Under global warming MSLP tends to increase at both Darwin and Tahiti, but tends to rise more at Tahiti than at Darwin. Tahiti lies in an extensive region where MSLP tends to rise in response to global warming. So while the SOI is an excellent indicator of interannual variability in both the equatorial MSLP gradient and the WC, it is a highly misleading indicator of long-term equatorial changes linked to global warming. Our results also indicate that the observed decline in the SOI in recent decades has been driven by natural, internally generated variability. The externally forced signal in the June?CDecember SOI during 2010 is estimated to be approximately 5% of the standard deviation of variability in the SOI during the 20th century. This figure is projected to increase to 40% by the end of the 21st century under the A2 SRES scenario. The 2010 global warming signal is already a major contributor to interdecadal variability in the SOI, equal to 45% of the standard deviation of 30-year running averages of the SOI. This figure is projected to increase to nearly 340% by the end of the 21st century. Implications that these discoveries have for understanding recent climatic change and for seasonal prediction are discussed.     

Projections of global warming-induced impacts on winter storm losses in the German private household sector

We present projections of winter storm-induced insured losses in the German residential building sector for the 21st century. With this aim, two structurally most independent downscaling methods and one hybrid downscaling method are applied to a 3-member ensemble of ECHAM5/MPI-OM1 A1B scenario simulations. One method uses dynamical downscaling of intense winter storm events in the global model, and a transfer function to relate regional wind speeds to losses. The second method is based on a reshuffling of present day weather situations and sequences taking into account the change of their frequencies according to the linear temperature trends of the global runs. The third method uses statistical-dynamical downscaling, considering frequency changes of the occurrence of storm-prone weather patterns, and translation into loss by using empirical statistical distributions. The A1B scenario ensemble was downscaled by all three methods until 2070, and by the (statistical-) dynamical methods until 2100. Furthermore, all methods assume a constant statistical relationship between meteorology and insured losses and no developments other than climate change, such as in constructions or claims management. The study utilizes data provided by the German Insurance Association encompassing 24 years and with district-scale resolution. Compared to 1971–2000, the downscaling methods indicate an increase of 10-year return values (i.e. loss ratios per return period) of 6–35 % for 2011–2040, of 20–30 % for 2041–2070, and of 40–55 % for 2071–2100, respectively. Convolving various sources of uncertainty in one confidence statement (data-, loss model-, storm realization-, and Pareto fit-uncertainty), the return-level confidence interval for a return period of 15 years expands by more than a factor of two. Finally, we suggest how practitioners can deal with alternative scenarios or possible natural excursions of observed losses.     

松花江流域气候变化及ECHAM5模式预估

 根据松花江流域1961-2000年观测气温、降水量资料和ECHAM5/MPI-OM模式对该流域21世纪前50 a气候变化的预估结果,分析了松花江流域1961-2000年年平均气温和年降水量变化,并对21世纪前50 a气温和降水量变化趋势进行了预估。结果表明,在全球变暖的背景下,作为中国气候变暖区域响应的先锋,松花江流域年平均气温自1980年代初持续升高,升温幅度比较显著;年降水量在1961-2000年无明显增加或减少趋势,年代际差异也不大。相对于1961-1990年的气候场,21世纪前半叶,年平均气温仍将呈明显增加趋势,到2040年代升温幅度达1℃以上,年降水量变化趋势不显著,可能微弱增加,但冬季平均气温和冬季降水量都呈增加趋势,春季降水量也为增加趋势。     

中国21世纪气候变化的情景模拟分析

利用HadCM2和ECHAM4气候模式比较分析了温室气体排放综合效果相当于CO2浓度逐年递增1％情景下中国区域21世纪地面气温和降水量的变化趋势。结果表明：在温室气体渐进递增情景下，至21世纪末期，相对于1961-1990年的气候基准值，全国地面平均气温增幅可达5—6℃。与地面气温的变化相比，降水量的波动幅度较大，但全国范围内降水量变化的总趋势也是增加的。中国区域地面气温和降水量变化的地理分布显示：降水量的增加主要集中在南方区域，HadCM2预测21世纪末期降水增加可达0．9mm／d，ECHAM4预测可达0．6mm／d；ECHAM4模式模拟的气温增幅比HadCM2高，尤其是在冬季及中国北方和青藏高原地区，而HadCM2模式模拟的降水量的增加较大，但两个气候模式模拟的地面气温和降水量变化的总趋势大体一致。     

21世纪气候变化情景下环北极地区植被生长季与活动积温变化

基于部门间影响模式比较计划（ISI-MIP, Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project)对CMIP5中5个气候（地球）系统模式模拟结果的降尺度数据,利用多模式集合预估了气候变化情景下21世纪环北极地区植被生长季与活动积温变化。研究发现:1）多模式集合模拟能够基本再现观测的初、终霜日及无霜期长度与>10°C积温的空间分布特征以及1979～2004年各指标变化趋势的空间分布特征,但其对气候变化年际变率的模拟能力较弱;2）至21世纪末,终霜日最多将提前60 d,初霜日将推迟20～40 d,无霜期延长幅度最高可达100 d,积温将增加1000～1200°C。其中RCP8.5情景下,各指标变幅最大,RCP2.6情景下变幅最小;3）各指标变幅呈现出较大的空间差异,亚欧大陆中西部的变幅普遍较大,随着气候变暖,>10°C积温增加幅度表现出明显的纬度地带性,南部增幅较大,北部增幅较小。     

气候变化对长江上游径流影响预估

利用第五次国际耦合模式比较计划(CMIP5)中5个气候模式在3种典型浓度路径(RCPs)下的预估结果驱动SWAT水文模型,预估了21世纪气候变化对长江上游年径流量、季节分配以及极端径流的影响。结果表明：预估的长江上游平均气温呈显著上升趋势,21世纪末较当前(1986—2005年)升高1.5~5.5℃,降水总体呈增加趋势,在21世纪30年代后高于当前气候平均值,21世纪末相对于当前增加5%~15%。流域内气候变化存在明显空间差异,金沙江和岷沱江流域气温升高和降水增加幅度均大于流域平均值。预估的长江上游年径流量及各月平均径流均有增加趋势,在21世纪30年代后高于当前多年平均值,21世纪中期增加4%~8%,21世纪末增加10%~15%。预估的径流年内分布的均匀性有所增加,但年际变化明显增大,极端旱涝事件的频率和强度明显增加。预估的各子流域径流变化对气候变化的响应也存在差异,金沙江和岷沱江流域年径流量、年际变化和年内分布变化小,对气候变化的响应表现为低敏感;嘉陵江流域、乌江流域和长江上游干流径流增加幅度大,同时极端丰枯出现的频率和程度增加显著,是气候变化响应的敏感区域。     

Statistical Downscaling Based on Dynamically DownscaledPredictors： Application to Monthly Precipitation in Sweden

A prerequisite of a successful statistical downscaling is that large-scale predictors simulated by the General Circulation Model (GCM) must be realistic. It is assumed here that features smaller than the GCM resolution are important in determining the realism of the large-scale predictors. It is tested whether a three-step method can improve conventional one-step statistical downscaling. The method uses predictors that are upscaled from a dynamical downscaling instead of predictors taken directly from a GCM simulation. The method is applied to downscaling of monthly precipitation in Sweden. The statistical model used is a multiple regression model that uses indices of large-scale atmospheric circulation and 850-hPa specific humidity as predictors. Data from two GCMs (HadCM2 and ECHAM4) and two RCM experiments of the Rossby Centre model (RCA1) driven by the GCMs are used. It is found that upscaled RCA1 predictors capture the seasonal cycle better than those from the GCMs, and hence increase the reliability of the downscaled precipitation. However, there are only slight improvements in the simulation of the seasonal cycle of downscaled precipitation. Due to the cost of the method and the limited improvements in the downscaling results, the three-step method is not justified to replace the one-step method for downscaling of Swedish precipitation.     

North Atlantic atmospheric circulation and surface wind in the Northeast of the Iberian Peninsula: uncertainty and long term downscaled variability

The variability and predictability of the surface wind field at the regional scale is explored over a complex terrain region in the northeastern Iberian Peninsula by means of a downscaling technique based on Canonical Correlation Analysis. More than a decade of observations (1992–2005) allows for calibrating and validating a statistical method that elicits the main associations between the large scale atmospheric circulation over the North Atlantic and Mediterranean areas and the regional wind field. In an initial step the downscaling model is designed by selecting parameter values from practise. To a large extent, the variability of the wind at monthly timescales is found to be governed by the large scale circulation modulated by the particular orographic features of the area. The sensitivity of the downscaling methodology to the selection of the model parameter values is explored, in a second step, by performing a systematic sampling of the parameters space, avoiding a heuristic selection. This provides a metric for the uncertainty associated with the various possible model configurations. The uncertainties associated with the model configuration are considerably dependent on the spatial variability of the wind. While the sampling of the parameters space in the model set up moderately impact estimations during the calibration period, the regional wind variability is very sensitive to the parameters selection at longer timescales. This fact illustrates that downscaling exercises based on a single configuration of parameters should be interpreted with extreme caution. The downscaling model is used to extend the estimations several centuries to the past using long datasets of sea level pressure, thereby illustrating the large temporal variability of the regional wind field from interannual to multicentennial timescales. The analysis does not evidence long term trends throughout the twentieth century, however anomalous episodes of high/low wind speeds are identified.     

Past and Future Changes in the Climate of Hong Kong

Over the years, the Hong Kong Observatory has carried out scientific studies to evaluate the observed climate trends and project the future climate in Hong Kong. Analysis of the meteorological observations at the observatory's headquarters in Tsim Sha Tsui since 1885 reveals that the temperature rise in Hong Kong during the past 124 years is in accord with the global rising trend. The accelerated rising trend in the mean temperature in last few decades may be attributed to the anthropogenic influences, especially urbanization. A similar increasing trend is also observed for rainfall. Other observations such as increasing cloud amount and decreasing total global solar radiation are all consistent with the global trend. Studies of past occurrences of extreme temperature and rainfall have also been carried out. The results indicate that cold episodes have become rarer while very hot days and heavy rain events are becoming more frequent. The observatory also makes use of the data from the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and employs statistical downscaling techniques to carry out projections of temperature and precipitation in the 21st century. It is found that the rise in temperature in Hong Kong will be slightly higher than the global mean in the 21st century. The annual rainfall in Hong Kong is also expected to rise by the end of the 21st century, so is its year-to-year variability.