scholarly journals Using Weather Pattern Recognition to Classify and Predict Summertime Heavy Rainfall Occurrence over the Upper Nan River Basin, Northwestern Thailand

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 345-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dzung Nguyen-Le ◽  
Tomohito J. Yamada
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Summer Monsoon ◽  
Heavy Rainfall ◽  
Japan Meteorological Agency ◽  
False Alarms ◽  
Self Organizing Maps ◽  
Global Spectral Model ◽  
Weather Patterns ◽  
Rainfall Occurrence ◽  
Northwestern Thailand

Abstract In this study, self-organizing maps in combination with K-means clustering are used to objectively classify the anomalous weather patterns (WPs) associated with the summertime [May–June (MJ) and July–August–September (JAS)] heavy rainfall days during 1979–2007 over the Upper Nan River basin, northwestern Thailand. The results show that in MJ, intensive rains are mainly brought by the remarkable enhancement of the westerly summer monsoon. Meanwhile, westward-propagating tropical disturbances including tropical cyclones are the primary factors that reproduce heavy rainfall over the Upper Nan in JAS. These results also suggest that the occurrence time of local heavy rainfall is strongly related to the seasonal transition of the summer monsoon over the Indochina Peninsula. The classification results are then implemented with the perfect prognosis and analog method to predict the occurrence (yes/no) of heavy rainfall days over the studied basin in summer 2008–17 using prognostic WPs from the operational Japan Meteorological Agency Global Spectral Model (GSM). In general, the forecast skill of this approach up to 3-day lead times is significantly improved, in which the method not only outperforms GSM with the same forecast ranges, but also its 3-day forecast is better than the 1–2-day forecasts from GSM. However, the false alarms ratio is still high, particularly in JAS. Nevertheless, it is expected that the new approach will provide warning and useful guidance for decision-making by forecasters or end-users engaging in water management and disaster prevention activities.

Nonlinear, Intraseasonal Phases of the East Asian Summer Monsoon: Extraction and Analysis Using Self-Organizing Maps

2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (20) ◽  
pp. 6975-6988 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jung-Eun Chu ◽  
Saji N. Hameed ◽  
Kyung-Ja Ha
Keyword(s):  
Time Scales ◽  
Summer Monsoon ◽  
East Asian Summer Monsoon ◽  
Asian Summer Monsoon ◽  
East Asian ◽  
Self Organizing Maps ◽  
Dry Spell ◽  
Asian Summer ◽  
Upper Level ◽  
Self Organizing

Abstract The hypothesis that regional characteristics of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) result from the presence of nonlinear coupled features that modulate the seasonal circulation and rainfall at the intraseasonal time scale is advanced in this study. To examine this hypothesis, the authors undertake the analysis of daily EASM variability using a nonlinear multivariate data classifying algorithm known as self-organizing mapping (SOM). On the basis of various SOM node analyses, four major intraseasonal phases of the EASM are identified. The first node describes a circulation state corresponding to weak tropical and subtropical pressure systems, strong upper-level jets, weakened monsoonal winds, and cyclonic upper-level vorticity. This mode, related to large rainfall anomalies in southeast China and southern Japan, is identified as the mei-yu–baiu phase. The second node represents a distinct circulation state corresponding to a strengthened subtropical high, monsoonal winds, and anticyclonic upper-level vorticity in southeast Korea, which is identified as the changma phase. The third node is related to copious rain over Korea following changma, which we name the postchangma phase. The fourth node is situated diagonally opposite the changma mode. Because Korea experiences a dry spell associated with this SOM node, it is referred to as the dry-spell phase. The authors also demonstrate that a strong modulation of the changma and dry-spell phases on interannual time scales occurs during El Niño and La Niña years. Results imply that the key to predictability of the EASM on interannual time scales may lie with analysis and exploitation of its nonlinear characteristics.

scholarly journals Evidence linking rapid Arctic warming to mid-latitude weather patterns

2015 ◽  
Vol 373 (2045) ◽  
pp. 20140170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Francis ◽  
Natasa Skific
Keyword(s):  
Northern Hemisphere ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Jet Stream ◽  
Self Organizing Maps ◽  
Arctic Warming ◽  
Scientific Debate ◽  
Weather Patterns ◽  
Enhanced Sensitivity ◽  
Active Research

The effects of rapid Arctic warming and ice loss on weather patterns in the Northern Hemisphere is a topic of active research, lively scientific debate and high societal impact. The emergence of Arctic amplification—the enhanced sensitivity of high-latitude temperature to global warming—in only the last 10–20 years presents a challenge to identifying statistically robust atmospheric responses using observations. Several recent studies have proposed and demonstrated new mechanisms by which the changing Arctic may be affecting weather patterns in mid-latitudes, and these linkages differ fundamentally from tropics/jet-stream interactions through the transfer of wave energy. In this study, new metrics and evidence are presented that suggest disproportionate Arctic warming—and resulting weakening of the poleward temperature gradient—is causing the Northern Hemisphere circulation to assume a more meridional character (i.e. wavier), although not uniformly in space or by season, and that highly amplified jet-stream patterns are occurring more frequently. Further analysis based on self-organizing maps supports this finding. These changes in circulation are expected to lead to persistent weather patterns that are known to cause extreme weather events. As emissions of greenhouse gases continue unabated, therefore, the continued amplification of Arctic warming should favour an increased occurrence of extreme events caused by prolonged weather conditions.

Diverse synoptic weather patterns of warm-season heavy rainfall events in South Korea

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chanil Park ◽  
Seok-Woo Son ◽  
Joowan Kim ◽  
Eun-Chul Chang ◽  
Jung-Hoon Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North Pacific ◽  
Moisture Transport ◽  
Heavy Rainfall ◽  
Eastern China ◽  
Warm Season ◽  
Sea Level Pressure ◽  
Rainfall Events ◽  
Weather Patterns ◽  
Synoptic Weather ◽  
Heavy Rainfall Events

AbstractThis study identifies diverse synoptic weather patterns of warm-season heavy rainfall events (HREs) in South Korea. The HREs not directly connected to tropical cyclones (TCs) (81.1%) are typically associated with a midlatitude cyclone from eastern China, the expanded North Pacific high and strong southwesterly moisture transport in between. They are frequent both in the first (early summer) and second rainy periods (late summer) with impacts on the south coast and west of the mountainous region. In contrast, the HREs resulting from TCs (18.9%) are caused by the synergetic interaction between the TC and meandering midlatitude flow, especially in the second rainy period. The strong south-southeasterly moisture transport makes the southern and eastern coastal regions prone to the TC-driven HREs. By applying a self-organizing map algorithm to the non-TC HREs, their surface weather patterns are further classified into six clusters. Clusters 1 and 3 exhibit frontal boundary between the low and high with differing relative strengths. Clusters 2 and 5 feature an extratropical cyclone migrating from eastern China under different background sea-level pressure patterns. Cluster 4 is characterized by the expanded North Pacific high with no organized negative sea-level pressure anomaly, and cluster 6 displays a development of a moisture pathway between the continental and oceanic highs. Each cluster exhibits a distinct spatio-temporal occurrence distribution. The result provides useful guidance for predicting the HREs by depicting important factors to be differently considered depending on their synoptic categorization.

scholarly journals Cause Analysis on Eastward Movement of Southwest China Vortex and Its Induced Heavy Rainfall in South China

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongren Chen ◽  
Yueqing Li ◽  
Tianliang Zhao
Keyword(s):  
South China ◽  
Heavy Rainfall ◽  
Southwest China ◽  
Dominant Role ◽  
Vertical Wind Shear ◽  
Heavy Rain ◽  
Convective Systems ◽  
Rainfall Occurrence ◽  
Positive Vorticity ◽  
Upper Level Jet

The movement of southwest China vortex (SWV) and its heavy rainfall process in South China had been investigated during June 11–14, 2008. The results show that under the steering of upper-level jet (ULJ) and mid-level westerly trough, SWV moved eastward from southern Sichuan Plateau, across eastern Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau to South China, forming an obvious heavy rain belt. SWV developed in the large storm-relative helicity (SRH) environment, as environmental wind field continuously transferred positive vorticity to it to support its development. The thermodynamic structures of distinctive warm (cold) advections in front (rear) of the SWV movement are also important factors for the SWV evolutions with a southwest low-level jet (LLJ) and vertical wind shear. SWV development was associated with the distributions of negative MPV1 (the barotropic item of moist potential vorticity) and positive MPV2 (the baroclinic item of it). The MPV1 and MPV2 played the dominant role in the formation and the evolution of SWV, respectively. The mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) frequently occurred and persisted in water vapor convergence areas causing the severe heavy rainfall. The areas of high moist helicity divergence and heavy rainfall are consistent, and the moist helicity divergence could be a good indicator for heavy rainfall occurrence.

Evaluation of ECMWF Precipitation Predictions in China during 2015–2018

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cui Liu ◽  
Jianhua Sun ◽  
Xinlin Yang ◽  
Shuanglong Jin ◽  
Shenming Fu
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Yangtze River ◽  
Yangtze River Basin ◽  
Heavy Precipitation ◽  
Western China ◽  
False Alarms ◽  
The Yangtze River ◽  
China Meteorological Administration ◽  
Threat Score ◽  
The Yangtze River Basin

AbstractPrecipitation forecasts from the ECMWF model from March to September during 2015–2018 were evaluated using observed precipitation at 2411 stations from the China Meteorological Administration. To eliminate the influence of varying climatology in different regions in China, the Stable Equitable Error in Probability Space method was used to obtain criteria for 3-h and 6-h accumulated precipitation at each station and classified precipitation into light, medium, and heavy precipitation. The model was evaluated for these categories using categorical and continuous methods. The threat score and the equitable threat score showed that the model’s forecasts of rainfall were generally more accurate at shorter lead times, and the best performance occurred in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Basin. The miss ratio for heavy precipitation was higher in the northern region than in the southern region, while heavy precipitation false alarms were more frequent in the southwestern China. Overall, the miss ratio and false alarm ratio for heavy precipitation were highest in northern China and western China, respectively. For light and medium precipitation, the model performed best in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Basin. The model predicted too much light and medium precipitation, but too little heavy precipitation. Heavy precipitation was generally underestimated over all of China, especially in the western region of China, South China, and the Yungui Plateau. Heavy precipitation was systematically underestimated because of the resolution and the related parametrization of convection.

scholarly journals Inundation Analysis of the Oda River Basin in Japan during the Flood Event of 6–7 July 2018 Utilizing Local and Global Hydrographic Data

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shakti P. C. ◽  
Hideyuki Kamimera ◽  
Ryohei Misumi
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Japan Meteorological Agency ◽  
Flood Event ◽  
Successful Outcome ◽  
Flood Inundation ◽  
Geospatial Information ◽  
Hydrological Simulation ◽  
Radar Rainfall ◽  
Affected Area ◽  
Backwater Effect

During the first week of July 2018, widespread flooding caused extensive damage across several river basins in western Japan. Among the affected basins were the Mabicho district of Kurashiki city in the lower part of the Oda river basin of the Okayama prefecture. An analysis of such a historical flood event can provide useful input for proper water resources management. Therefore, to improve our understanding of the flood inundation profile over the Oda river basin during the period of intense rainfall from 5–8 July 2018, the Rainfall-Runoff-Inundation (RRI) model was used, with radar rainfall data from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) as the input. River geometries—width, depth, and embankments—of the Oda river were generated and applied in the simulation. Our results show that the Mabicho district flooding was due to a backwater effect and bursting embankments along the Oda River. The model setup was then redesigned, taking into account these factors. The simulated maximum flood-affected areas were then compared with data from the Japanese Geospatial Information Authority (GSI), which showed that the maximum flood inundation areas estimated by the RRI model and the GSI flood-affected area matched closely. River geometries were extracted from a high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM), combined with coarser resolution DEM data (global data), and then utilized to perform a hydrological simulation of the Oda river basin under the scenarios of backwater effect and embankment failure. While this approach produced a successful outcome in this study, this is a case study for a single river basin in Japan. However, the fact that these results yielded valid information on the extent of flood inundation over the flood-affected area suggests that such an approach could be applicable to any river basin.

scholarly journals The Role of Synoptic Cyclones for the Formation of Arctic Summer Circulation Patterns as Clustered by Self-Organizing Maps

Atmosphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min-Hee Lee ◽  
Joo-Hong Kim
Keyword(s):  
Arctic Ocean ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Cyclone Activity ◽  
Summer Circulation ◽  
Self Organizing Maps ◽  
Weather Patterns ◽  
Atmospheric Circulation Patterns ◽  
Circulation Patterns ◽  
Self Organizing

Contribution of extra-tropical synoptic cyclones to the formation of mean summer atmospheric circulation patterns in the Arctic domain (≥60° N) was investigated by clustering dominant Arctic circulation patterns based on daily mean sea-level pressure using self-organizing maps (SOMs). Three SOM patterns were identified; one pattern had prevalent low-pressure anomalies in the Arctic Circle (SOM1), while two exhibited opposite dipoles with primary high-pressure anomalies covering the Arctic Ocean (SOM2 and SOM3). The time series of their occurrence frequencies demonstrated the largest inter-annual variation in SOM1, a slight decreasing trend in SOM2, and the abrupt upswing after 2007 in SOM3. Analyses of synoptic cyclone activity using the cyclone track data confirmed the vital contribution of synoptic cyclones to the formation of large-scale patterns. Arctic cyclone activity was enhanced in the SOM1, which was consistent with the meridional temperature gradient increases over the land–Arctic ocean boundaries co-located with major cyclone pathways. The composite daily synoptic evolution of each SOM revealed that all three SOMs persisted for less than five days on average. These evolutionary short-term weather patterns have substantial variability at inter-annual and longer timescales. Therefore, the synoptic-scale activity is central to forming the seasonal-mean climate of the Arctic.

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