Interannual variation of tropical night frequency in Beijing and associated large-scale circulation background

This study examined the variability in frequency of tropical night occurrence (i.e., minimum air tem- perature >25℃) in Beijing, using a homogenized daily temperature dataset during the period 1960-2008. Our results show that tropical nights occur most frequently in late July and early August, which is consis- tent with relatively high air humidity associated with the rainy season in Beijing. In addition, year-to-year variation of tropical night occurrence indicates that the tropical nights have appeared much more frequently since 1994, which can be illustrated by the yearly days of tropical nights averaged over two periods: 9.2 days of tropical nights per year during 1994-2008 versus 3.15 days during 1960-1993. These features of tropical night variations suggest a distinction between tropical nights and extreme heat in Beijing. We further investigated the large-scale circulations associated with the year-to-year variation of tropical night occurrence in July and August, when tropical nights appear most frequently and occupy 95% of the annual sum. After comparing the results in the two reanalysis datasets (NCEP/NCAR and ERA-40) and considering the possible effects of decadal change in the frequency of tropical nights that occurred around 1993/94, we conclude that on the interannual time scale, the cyclonic anomaly with a barotropic structure centered over Beijing is responsible for less frequent tropical nights, and the anticyclonic anomaly is responsible for more frequent occurrence of tropical nights over Beijing.     

The Characteristics of Cold Air Outbreaks over the Eastern Highlands of Kenya

Summary Climatological statistics of extreme temperature events over Kenya are established from the analysis of daily and monthly maximum temperatures for a representative station (Nairobi Dagoretti Corner) over the period 1956–1997. The months of June to August were shown to be the coldest with a mean monthly maximum temperature of less than 22 °C. Seasonal (June to August) mean maximum temperature was 21.5 °C. Using this seasonal mean temperature for the period 1967–1997 delineated 1968 as the coldest year in this series and 1983 as the warmest year. Spectral analysis of the seasonal data, for both the coldest and the warmest years, revealed that the major periods were the quasi-biweekly (10 days) and the Intraseasonal Oscillations (23 days). Secondary peaks occurred at periods of 4–6 and 2.5–3.5 days. A temperature threshold of 16.7 °C during July was used to define cold air outbreaks over Nairobi. This threshold temperature of 16.7 °C was obtained from the mean July maximum temperature (20.9 °C) minus two standard deviations. Notable trends include a decrease in the frequency of station-days, between 1956 and 1997, with temperatures less than 16.7 °C during July. Surface pressure patterns indicate that the origin of the cold air is near latitude 25° S and to the east of mainland South Africa. The cold air near 25° S is advected northwards ahead of the surface pressure ridge. Received July 19, 1999 Revised January 11, 2000     

Egyptian cotton (Gossypium barbadense) flower and boll production as affected by climatic factors and soil moisture status

The information on impact of climatic factors on cotton production is not generally available, or at least not available in the required form. Understanding this impact may help physiologists determine a possible control of the flowering mechanism in the cotton plant. Two field trials were conducted to investigate the relationships between climatic factors, soil moisture status, and flower and boll production of Gossypium barbadense. The climatic factors considered were daily maximum air temperature (°C), minimum air temperature (°C), maximum–minimum temperature (diurnal temperature range) (°C), sunshine duration (h day^?1), maximum relative humidity (%), minimum relative humidity (%), and wind speed (m s^?1). Minimum relative humidity and sunshine duration were the most significant climatic factors affecting flower and boll retention and production. Temperature appeared to be less important in the reproduction growth stage of cotton in Egypt than minimum relative humidity and sunshine duration. The soil moisture status showed low and insignificant correlation to flower and boll production. High minimum relative humidity, short period of sunshine duration, and low temperatures enhanced flower and boll formation.     

An assessment of the potential impact of a downward shift of tropospheric water vapor on climate sensitivity

This work uses an energy balance climate model (EBCM) with explicit infrared radiative transfer, parametrized tropospheric temperature and humidity profiles, and separate stratosphere, troposphere, and surface energy balances, to investigate claims that a downward redistribution of tropospheric water vapor in response to surface warming could serve as a strong negative feedback on climatic change. A series of sensitivity tests is carried out using: (1) a variety of relationships between total precipitable water in the troposphere and temperature; (2) feedbacks between surface temperature and the vertical distribution of tropospheric water vapor at low latitudes; and (3) feedback between surface temperature or meridional temperature gradient and lapse rate. Fixed relative humidity (RH) enhances the global mean surface temperature response to a CO₂ doubling by only 50% compared to fixed absolute humidity, giving a response of 1.8 K. When water vapor is assumed to be redistributed downward between 30°S–30°N such that a 1 K surface warming reduces total precipitable water above 600 hPa by 10%, the global mean surface air temperature response is reduced to 1.2 K. Assuming a stronger downward redistribution in relation to surface temperature change has a rapidly diminishing marginal effect on global mean and tropical surface temperature response, while slightly increasing the warming at high latitudes due to the parametrized dependence of middle-to-high latitude lapse rate on the meridional temperature gradient. A modest downward water vapor redistribution, such that absolute humidity in the upper troposphere at subtropical latitudes is constant as total precipitable water increases, can reduce the tropical temperature sensitivity to less than 1 K, while increasing the equator-to-pole amplification of the surface air temperature response from a factor of about three to a factor of four. However, it is concluded that whatever changes in future GCM response might occur as a result of new parametrizations of subgrid-scale processes, they are exceedingly unlikely to produce a climate sensitivity to a CO₂ doubling of less than 1 K even if there is a strong downward shift in the water vapor distribution as climate warms. Received: 23 February 1998 / Accepted: 1 November 1999     

利用探空资料计算水汽压

利用L波段探空资料的相对湿度值及温度值计算水汽压时,由于探空测量的是相对于水面的相对湿度,只能用相对于水面的饱和水汽压公式来计算,低温时用相对于冰面的饱和水汽压公式计算水汽压可能不正确.对水相和冰相的不同处理所带来的偏差进行了分析和讨论.以CIMO规定的温度-45℃和0℃为界,分别计算了用相对于冰面的饱和水汽压公式和相对于水面的饱和水汽压公式得到的水汽压值,并进行了比较.结果表明,在计算实际水汽压的过程中,用不同的饱和水汽压公式所产生的绝对偏差虽然不大,但相对偏差最大可能达到50％,不容忽视,对确定对流层上部的气候效应可能产生影响.     

The effect of weather on the incidence of botulism in water fowl

The incidence of deaths due to botulism among water fowl in the Norfolk Broads, England, is closely related to two meteorological factors. These are the number of days in summer with a maximum air temperature of 21°C or more, and the excess of water evaporation over rainfall in the months April, May, June, July and August.     

广州盛夏高温频数异常分析

运用EOF、相关分析等方法,分析了广州市1951-2004年高温频数的基本气候特征,并探讨了盛夏(7 -8月)高温频数异常与同期65-150°E,10-70°N范围内500 hPa高度场的关系。结果表明:(1)近54年来广州年平均出现高温次数为8．7日;5-9月都有高温出现,其中7、8月是高温的频发期;(2)广州市高温频数具有明显的年际和年代际变化,其中1980年代以来高温频数明显增加;(3)广州市盛夏高温频数在1980年代以来的异常增多是与同期我国西北部-蒙古-贝加尔湖及附近地区西风带活动减弱、中低纬副热带高压强度加强有密切的关系。     

Climate analysis of tornadoes in China

Based on analysis of historical tornado observation data provided by the primary network of national weather stations in China for the period from 1960 to 2009,it is found that most tornadoes in China(85%)occurred over plains.Specifically,large numbers of tornado occurrences are found in the Northeast Plain,the North China Plain,the middle-lower Yangtze Plain,and the Pearl River Delta Plain.A flat underlying surface is conducive to tornado occurrence,while the latitudal variation of tornado occurrence in China is not so obvious.Tornadoes mainly occur in summer,and the highest frequency is in July.Note that the beginning and the time span of tornado outbreaks are different in North and South China.Tornadoes occur during May-September in South China(south of 25°N),June-September in Northeast China(north of 40°N),July-September in the middle-lower Yangtze Plain,and July-August in North China(between25°and 40°N).More than 80%of total tornadoes occurred during the above periods for the specific regions.The 1960s and 1970s have seen about twice the average number of tornadoes(7.5 times per year)compared to the mean for 1960-2009.The most frequent occurrence of tornado was in the early and mid 1960s;there were large fluctuations in the 1970s;and the number of tornadoes in the 1980s approached the 50-yr average.Tornado occurrences gradually decreased in the late 1980s,and an abrupt change with dramatic decrease occurred in 1994.The decrease in the tornado occurrence frequency is consistent with the simultaneous climatic change in the meteorological elements that are favorable for tornado formation.Tornado formation requires large vertical wind shear and sufficient atmospheric moisture content near the ground.Changes in the vertical wind shear at both 0-1 and 0-6 km appear to be one important factor that results in the decrease in tornado formation.The changing tendency of relative humidity also has contributed to the decrease in tornado formation in China.     

CORRELATION BETWEEN PEAK INTENSITY OF EXTREME AFTERNOON SHORT-DURATION RAINFALL AND HUMIDITY AND SURFACE AIR TEMPERATURE IN SOUTHEAST COAST OF CHINA

Using hourly rainfall intensity, daily surface air temperature, humidity and low-level dew point depressions at 55 stations in the southeast coast of China, and sea surface temperature from reanalysis in the coastal region, this paper analyzes the connection between peak intensity of extreme afternoon short-duration rainfall (EASR) and humidity as well as surface air temperature. The dependency of extreme peak intensity of EASR on temperature has a significant transition. When daily highest surface temperature is below (above) 29°C, the peak rainfall intensity shows an ascending (descending) tendency with rising temperature. Having investigated the role of moisture condition in the variation of EASR and temperature, this paper discovered that the decrease of peak rainfall intensity with temperature rising is connected with the variation of relative humidity. At higher temperatures, the land surface relative humidity decreases dramatically as temperature further increases. During this process, the sea surface temperature maintains basically unchanged, resulting in indistinct variations of water vapor content at seas. As water vapor over land is mainly contributed by the quantitative moisture transport from adjacent seas, the decline of relative humidity over land will be consequently caused by the further rise of surface air temperature.     

8月中国低纬高原水汽输送过程及其与降水量极端异常的联系

利用1979—2010年ERA-Interim再分析资料、全球降水气候中心(Global Precipitation Climate Center, GPCC)的降水量资料和站点降水观测资料,通过引入水汽贡献率和水汽通过率,构建描述降水量对水汽源地蒸发量的敏感性指数等方法,揭示了8月流入低纬高原水汽的输送过程的气候特征,及其与8月低纬高原降水量极端异常的联系。结果表明：(1)8月流入低纬高原水汽的重要源地是中南半岛北部和华南一带的陆地区域,以及北部湾和孟加拉湾北部西南至东北的狭长海面。(2)8月流入低纬高原水汽的主要输送通道有两条：孟加拉湾上空狭长的西南季风;经17°N附近偏东季风在南海西北部110°E附近发生转向后的东南季风。那加丘陵和中南半岛北部的纵向岭谷明显阻挡了两支水汽输送通道。(3)8月流入低纬高原水汽主要受大气环流影响,受水汽源地蒸发量的直接影响有限。当流入低纬高原水汽异常偏多(少)时,使得可降水量偏多(少),最终导致降水量偏多(少)。     

贵州省2002年秋风特点及成因

使用1980—2016年的月平均NCEP再分析资料、贵州省84个国家观测站8—9月逐日气候态要素值(1981—2010年的30 a平均)以及贵州省2002年8—9月气温、降水逐日资料对2002年贵州省出现的特重秋风过程进行分析。结果表明：8月9—23日期间,贵州中西部地区秋风持续时间在9 d以上,大部分地区在12 d以上,而威宁站长达15 d,达特重秋风过程。从春季开始,赤道太平洋地区海表温度自西向东异常偏暖,Nino3.4区持续时间最长,8月到达最强,导致欧亚大陆中高纬地区经向环流明显且稳定维持,欧洲西海岸、欧亚大陆东北部经贝加尔湖至我国北方地区高度场偏高,欧洲中部明显偏低,我国东北偏低,槽后冷空气较强并南下;孟加拉湾及南海地区的气旋性环流的偏南风与北方南下的冷空气交汇于贵州省,形成静止锋并持续较长时间;8月9—23日期间的4个台风有利于水汽输送和环流维持,使贵州省2002年8月低温多雨,秋风灾害严重,尤其造成了8月9—23日持续时间最长的秋风过程。     

民勤西沙窝生态气候变化特征

（１）分析得到勤试验站１３个观测指标中的１４５个统计项中的前６个主成分最大载荷因子的多年变化特征是：年日照时数７０￣８０年代持续下降;年平均气温６０￣８０年代下降;年大风日数呈波浪式上升;年最大风速有增无减;８月降水量相对稳定。当地的气候环境在８０年代中期以前朝良性方向发展,８０年代中期以来进一步恶化。（２）年沙法暴日数的多年变化特征与年日照时数有较大的相似性;年平均最高气温、年平均地温和７月份极     

Mediterranean warming is especially due to summer season

We created a new homogenized daily minimum and maximum temperature data set (1955–2007) for the central Mediterranean area of Tuscany (Italy). Yearly and seasonal long-term trends of some climatic and extreme climatic indices were investigated. The results highlighted a positive trend for mean temperature of about 0.9°C per 50 years with a slightly more pronounced increase in maximum temperature. Seasonal analysis revealed a by far much greater increase in summer (June, July, August) and spring (March, April, May) temperature in respect of autumn and winter, this finding consistent with most recent Mediterranean evidences. Warm extremes showed an overall tendency to increase, while a slight not significant decrease trend was found in regard to frost days and cold extremes. Comparisons with different patterns of Mediterranean warming confirmed the magnitude of recent very fast rise in temperature, especially during summer. This change could be due to last decades modifications of general circulation patterns and land–temperature, land–precipitation positive feedback processes dependent from soil moisture. All these results confirm that the Mediterranean is a region especially responsive and thus very vulnerable to climate change.     

Twentieth century variability of surface humidity as the climate change indicator in Kraków (Southern Poland)

Air humidity is an element that plays an important role among meteorological processes within the atmosphere; however, the variety of humidity indices makes the global view of air moisture changes difficult. Long-term variability of air humidity in Kraków was examined by time-series (1901–2000) analysis of vapour pressure and saturation deficit values and their characteristic days with the background of temperature and saturated vapour pressure changes. Long-term variability of air humidity in Kraków has been visible above all in variations of saturation deficit. It should be connected with the contemporary temperature growth and the city development as the atmospheric water vapour content (described by vapour pressure) becomes relatively stable (with no significant tendencies). The parameter showed well-marked trends over the examined period. The growth of saturation deficit values predominated in the warm half of a year (above all in August: an increase in SD value by 3.0 hPa per century). Apart from atmospheric circulation variability, gradual rise in the number of inhabitants and higher development density contributed to the decline in the city’s air humidity; however, the causes of changes in air humidity should be also attributed to natural factors, mainly to variation of air circulation reinforced by the operation of anthropogenic factors. Using air humidity as the indicator, the results that confirm climatic fluctuations in central Europe in the twentieth century obtained earlier were verified and some new aspects of present climate change were given.     

新疆近50,a气候的变化特征

利用新疆地区具有较好代表性的23个气象台站1960-2009年的历史气候资料,运用线性倾向估计对新疆地区近50 a来气候变化的主要特征进行了分析.结果表明：近50 a来,新疆地区能量供给因子中的最高、最低和平均温度都呈明显的上升趋势,而日照时数、温度年较差呈明显的下降趋势,云量的变化趋势不明显并略有下降;空气动力因子风速的下降趋势显著;湿度因子中空气相对湿度和降水量略有上升趋势,而水汽压有明显上升趋势.受此影响,近50 a新疆地区气候总体趋于干向湿发展的趋势,气候朝暖湿方向变化.     

Estimation methods for monthly humidity from dynamical downscaling data for quantitative assessments of climate change impacts

Methods are proposed to estimate the monthly relative humidity and wet bulb temperature based on observations from a dynamical downscaling coupled general circulation model with a regional climate model (RCM) for a quantitative assessment of climate change impacts. The water vapor pressure estimation model developed was a regression model with a monthly saturated water vapor pressure that used minimum air temperature as a variable. The monthly minimum air temperature correction model for RCM bias was developed by stepwise multiple regression analysis using the difference in monthly minimum air temperatures between observations and RCM output as a dependent variable and geographic factors as independent variables. The wet bulb temperature was estimated using the estimated water vapor pressure, air temperature, and atmospheric pressure at ground level both corrected for RCM bias. Root mean square errors of the data decreased considerably in August.     

基于多源资料的一次暖区暴雨水汽特征分析

利用常规气象观测资料、NCEP逐6 h再分析资料(1°×1°)、微波辐射计资料以及HYSPLIT模式等,对2021年7月5日冀中平原一次暖区暴雨过程的水汽输送特征进行对比分析。结果表明：应用HYSPLIT模式模拟分析后发现,本次过程中925和850 hPa降水开始前比湿在12 g/kg以上,是暴雨区的主要水汽贡献者,其主要水汽通道为西南路径,水汽贡献率分别占57.57%和63.64%。源自黄海或途径黄海、渤海等地的气块在东南转西南气流的引导下为暴雨区低层带来丰富的水汽,同时源自亚欧大陆中高层的气块,随着西风带长波槽脊的运动,为暴雨区上空500 hPa带来干空气,构成上干下湿的不稳定层结。降水开始前,925和850 hPa在相应引导气流的作用下,水汽不断向冀中平原输送,使得优良的水汽条件主要集中于低层大气,与HYSPLIT模式模拟结果一致。通过微波辐射计对降雨过程的水汽特征进行分析,结果表明在降雨开始前,700 hPa以下高度的水汽含量有明显增加,水汽密度最大达到14 g/m³。分析3种不同资料得到相似结论,但HYSPLIT模式和微波辐射计两种高时空分辨率资料的应用...     

Air temperature anomalies of summer 2010 measured at the high-altitude meteorological mast in Obninsk

Presented are the results of measurements of air temperature, wind direction, and relative humidity of the air at the high-altitude meteorological mast in the town of Obninsk. The measurements were carried out in the period of hot weather in July?CAugust 2010 near the Earth??s surface, as well as at the heights of 121 and 301 m. The wind roses and maximum daily temperatures are compared with the similar climatic characteristics obtained for the period of 1970?C2009. It is shown that the period from July 15 to August 18, 2010 was abnormal both in the air temperature characteristics and in the distribution of wind direction at all mentioned heights.     

State of the climate in the Three Gorges Region of the Yangtze River basin in 2020

2020年,长江三峡地区年平均气温17.2℃,接近常年;年平均降水量1530.8毫米,偏多29％,为1961年以来第二多,仅次于1998年.6月,7月降水量及年平均暴雨日数均为1961年以来第二多.平均风速较常年偏大;相对湿度略偏高;各月均无酸雨出现,近十余年酸雨强度呈现明显减弱趋势.2020年,三峡地区夏季暴雨洪涝灾...     

Dependence of energy consumption on air temperature in Moscow

The dependence of energy consumption on air temperature for every day of the period from 1990 to 2015 is for the first time studied for mid-latitudes using the long-term observational data of the Moscow State University Meteorological Observatory. It is demonstrated that this dependence is generally descending in the Moscow region: energy consumption decreases as air temperature rises. At the same time, the energy consumption increase slows down due to energy saving in case of severe frosts, whereas the opposite trend is manifested in case of abnormally hot weather, that is, the energy consumption increase along with the air temperature rise due to additional consumption for air conditioning. The optimum temperature for energy saving is 18°C. The relationship between energy consumption and air humidity characteristics is analyzed. There is almost no link with relative humidity, while in the link with the partial pressure of water vapor, the dependence of the latter on air temperature is reflected indirectly.