scholarly journals Spatiotemporal patterns of synchronous heavy rainfall events in East Asia during the Baiu season

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederik Wolf ◽  
Ugur Ozturk ◽  
Kevin Cheung ◽  
Reik V. Donner

Abstract. Investigating the synchrony and interdependency of heavy rainfall occurrences is crucial to understand the underlying physical mechanisms and reduce physical and economic damages by improved forecasting strategies. In this context, studies utilizing functional network representations have recently contributed to significant advances in the understanding and prediction of extreme weather events. To thoroughly expand on previous works employing the latter framework to the East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) system, we focus here on changes in the spatial organization of synchronous heavy precipitation events across the monsoon season (April to August) by studying the temporal evolution of corresponding network characteristics in terms of a sliding window approach. Specifically, we utilize functional climate networks together with event coincidence analysis for identifying and characterizing synchronous activity from daily rainfall estimates between 1998 and 2018. Our results demonstrate that the formation of the Baiu front as a main feature of the EASM is reflected by a double-band structure of synchronous heavy rainfall with two centers north and south of the front. Although the two separated bands are strongly related to either low- or high-level winds which are commonly assumed to be independent, we provide evidence that it is rather their mutual interconnectivity that changes during the different phases of the EASM season in a characteristic way. Our findings shed some new light on the interplay between tropical and extratropical factors controlling the EASM intraseasonal evolution, which could potentially help to improve future forecasts of the Baiu onset in different regions of East Asia.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 295-312
Author(s):  
Frederik Wolf ◽  
Ugur Ozturk ◽  
Kevin Cheung ◽  
Reik V. Donner

Abstract. Investigating the synchrony and interdependency of heavy rainfall occurrences is crucial to understand the underlying physical mechanisms and reduce physical and economic damages by improved forecasting strategies. In this context, studies utilizing functional network representations have recently contributed to significant advances in the understanding and prediction of extreme weather events. To thoroughly expand on previous works employing the latter framework to the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) system, we focus here on changes in the spatial organization of synchronous heavy precipitation events across the monsoon season (April to August) by studying the temporal evolution of corresponding network characteristics in terms of a sliding window approach. Specifically, we utilize functional climate networks together with event coincidence analysis for identifying and characterizing synchronous activity from daily rainfall estimates between 1998 and 2018. Our results demonstrate that the formation of the Baiu front as a main feature of the EASM is reflected by a double-band structure of synchronous heavy rainfall with two centers north and south of the front. Although the two separated bands are strongly related to either low- or high-level winds, which are commonly assumed to be independent, we provide evidence that it is rather their mutual interconnectivity that changes during the different phases of the EASM season in a characteristic way. Our findings shed some new light on the interplay between tropical and extratropical factors controlling the EASM intraseasonal evolution, which could potentially help to improve future forecasts of the Baiu onset in different regions of East Asia.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederik Wolf ◽  
Ugur Ozturk ◽  
Kevin Cheung ◽  
Reik V. Donner

<p>Investigating the synchrony and interdependency of heavy rainfall occurrences is crucial to understand the underlying physical mechanisms and reduce physical and economic damages by improved forecasting strategies. In this context, studies utilizing functional network representations have recently contributed to significant advances in the understanding and prediction of extreme weather events.</p><p>To thoroughly expand on previous works employing the latter framework to the East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) system, we focus here on changes in the spatial organization of synchronous heavy precipitation events across the monsoon season (April to August) by studying the temporal evolution of corresponding network characteristics in terms of a sliding window approach. Specifically, we utilize functional climate networks together with event coincidence analysis for identifying and characterizing synchronous activity from daily rainfall estimates with <span>a spatial resolution of 0.25° </span>between 1998 and 2018. Our results demonstrate that the formation of the Baiu front as a main feature of the EASM is reflected by a double-band structure of synchronous heavy rainfall with two centers north and south of the front. Although the two separated bands are strongly related to either low- or high-level winds which are commonly assumed to be independent, we provide evidence that it is rather their mutual interconnectivity that changes during the different phases of the EASM season in a characteristic way.</p><p>Our findings shed some new light on the interplay between tropical and extratropical factors controlling the EASM intraseasonal evolution, which could potentially help improving future forecasts of the Baiu onset in different regions of East Asia.</p><p> </p><p>Further details: F. Wolf, U. Ozturk, K. Cheung, R.V. Donner: Spatiotemporal patterns of synchronous heavy rainfall events in East Asia during the Baiu season. Earth System Dynamics (in review). Discussion Paper: Earth System Dynamics Discussions, (2020)</p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reik Donner ◽  
Frederik Wolf

<p>Investigating the synchrony and interdependency of heavy rainfall occurrences across and between different tropical regions offers a new perspective on the underlying physical mechanisms. In this context, studies utilizing functional network representations have recently contributed to significant advances in the understanding and prediction of extreme weather events. Here, we systematically contrast previous results on spatiotemporal extreme precipitation patterns in three key monsoon regions (India, South America and East Asia) based on the concept of event synchronization (ES) with corresponding patterns obtained using the closely related event coincidence analysis (ECA) approach. Our findings demonstrate that an additional window size parameter of ECA not involved in ES allows for a more detailed analysis of the formation and propagation processes associated with heavy precipitation events. While the resulting network connectivity patterns based on both approaches closely resemble each other for the case of the South American monsoon system and the Indian summer monsoon, there exist subtle differences that carry climatologically relevant information. We further exploit the advanced potentials provided by ECA for studying in greater detail the spatial organization of East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) related heavy precipitation across the relevant season in a time-dependent fashion. Our results show that the formation of the Baiu front as a main feature of the EASM is accompanied by a double-band of synchronous heavy rainfall with two spatially dislocated centers north and south of the front. Although these bands are closely related to low- and high-level winds which are commonly assumed to be independent of each other, it is rather their mutual interconnectivity that changes during the different phases of the EASM season in a characteristic way. The thus obtained insights could provide relevant information for improving existing forecasting strategies for monsoon onset and strength.</p><p> </p><p>References:</p><p>Odenweller, R.V. Donner: Disentangling synchrony from serial dependency in paired-event time series. Physical Review E, 101(5), 052213 (2020)</p><p>Wolf, J. Bauer, N. Boers, R.V. Donner: Event synchrony measures for functional climate network analysis: A case study on South American rainfall dynamics. Chaos, 30(3), 033102 (2020)</p><p>Wolf, U. Öztürk, K. Cheung, R.V. Donner: Spatiotemporal patterns of synchronous heavy rainfall events in East Asia during the Baiu season. Earth System Dynamics Discussions. doi:10.5194/esd-2020-69 (2020)</p><p>Wolf, R.V. Donner: Spatial organization of connectivity in functional climate networks describing event synchrony of heavy precipitation. European Physical Journal Special Topics (in review)</p>


MAUSAM ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-144
Author(s):  
RAHA G N ◽  
BANDYOPADHYAY S ◽  
DAS S

Heavy rainfall (HRF) forecasting in hilly region is always a challenge to the operational forecasters. Synoptic Analogue Model (SAM) is considered as one of the useful tools for HRF forecasting in topographically influenced hilly regions. In every monsoon season, the Teesta river catchment and its adjoining areas in Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim (SHWB-S) generally receive several events of HRF. With the primary objective to find the method to issue HRF warning over Teesta river catchment and adjoining areas in SHWB-S, a SAM has been developed by analyzing 18 years (1998-2015) data comprising prevailing synoptic situations affecting the area and daily rainfall data of subsequent day of HRF. In addition, impact of different synoptic systems on the distribution of HRF has also been studied. The results revealed that there exists a good agreement between daily HRF warnings issued with the corresponding HRF event observed over this region on the next day.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mengxin Pan ◽  
Mengqian Lu ◽  
Upmanu Lall ◽  
Qizhen Dong

<p>The identification, climatic modulation and hydrological impact of Atmospheric Rivers (ARs) is an emergent scientific topic in recent years. ARs are important and yet understudied for East Asia (EA). We use our new AR identification algorithm (Pan & Lu, 2019), to build up a comprehensive AR catalog for this region for the first time.  Interesting patterns are found: (1) there is a dominant AR route, originating from the Arabian Sea, crossing over the Bay of Bengal and Indochina, South China Sea (SCS) and Southeast China (SEC), and terminating in the western North Pacific; and (2) a nine-stage annual pattern in the climatological frequency is revealed.  Stage 1: mid-Mar to mid-May, the formation of Western North Pacific Subtropical Height (WNPSH) near the SCS steers and confines AR in its northwest flank over SEC.  Stages 2-5: during the monsoon season from mid-May to late-Aug, the evolution of AR follow the intra-seasonal progression of Asia-Pacific monsoon (including South Asian monsoon, East Asian monsoon and western North Pacific monsoon. Stages 6-9: late-Aug to mid-Mar, ARs leave EA and only occur over the North Pacific. Over all stages, we find the contribution of AR grows significantly with more extreme rainfall (i.e., from the annual rainfall, heavy rainfall, persistent heavy rainfall to large spatial extent persistent heavy rainfall), especially in spring and early-monsoon season. This emphasizes ARs’ significant role in extreme or catastrophic rainfall events. Intriguingly, divergence of AR trajectories (also in their characteristics) occurs along the extratropical direction, and such divergent features have spatially heterogenous dependence on the leading modes of a collection of steering atmospheric and regulating climatic signals. Large divergence indicates high sensitivity of AR to transient steering; while small divergence promises high predictability of ARs, thus their associated hydrological impacts.</p>


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0256266
Author(s):  
Yi-Jia Shih ◽  
Jung-Sheng Chen ◽  
Yi-Jen Chen ◽  
Pei-Yu Yang ◽  
Yi-Jie Kuo ◽  
...  

Pathogen populations in estuarine areas are dynamic, as they are subject to multiple natural and anthropogenic challenges. Heavy rainfall events bring instability to the aquatic environment in estuaries, causing changes in pathogen populations and increased environmental sanitation and public health concerns. In this study, we investigated the effects of heavy precipitation on the occurrence of pathogens in the Puzi River estuary, which is adjacent to the largest inshore oyster farming area in Taiwan. Our results indicated that Vibrio parahaemolyticus and adenovirus were the most frequently detected pathogens in the area. There was a significant difference (Mann-Whitney U test, p < 0.01) in water quality parameters, including total coliform, Escherichia coli, water temperature, turbidity, salinity, and dissolved oxygen, between groups with and without V. parahaemolyticus. In addition, the detection rate was negatively correlated with the average daily rainfall (r2 > 0.8). There was no significant difference between water quality parameters and the presence/absence of adenovirus, but a positive correlation was observed between the average daily rainfall and the detection rate of adenovirus (r2 ≥ 0.75). We conclude that heavy precipitation changes estuarine water quality, causing variations in microbial composition, including pathogens. As extreme weather events become more frequent due to climate change, the potential impacts of severe weather events on estuarine environments require further investigation.


Author(s):  
Tshimbiluni Percy Muofhe ◽  
Hector Chikoore ◽  
Mary-Jane Bopape ◽  
Nthaduleni S Nethengwe ◽  
Thando Ndarana ◽  
...  

Mid-tropospheric cut-off low (COL) pressure systems are linked to severe weather, heavy rainfall and extreme cold conditions over South Africa. They often result in floods and snowfalls in winter disrupting economic activities. This paper examines the evolution and circulation patterns associated with severe COLs over South Africa. We evaluate the performance of the 4.4 km Unified Model (UM) which is currently used operationally by the South African Weather Service to simulate daily rainfall. Circulation variables and precipitation simulated by the UM were compared against ECMWF&rsquo;s ERA Interim reanalyses and GPM precipitation at 24-hour timesteps. We present five recent (2016-2019) severe COLs that had high impact and found higher model skill when simulating heavy precipitation during the initial stages than the dissipating stages of the systems. A key finding was that the UM underestimated precipitation mainly due to inaccurate placing of COL centers and areas of heavy rainfall by up to 5&deg; of latitude away from the actual location, due to the poor formulating of cumulus and microphysics schemes in the model. Understanding the performance and limitations of the UM model in simulating COL characteristics can benefit severe weather forecasting and contribute to disaster risk reduction in South Africa.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroshi G. Takahashi ◽  
Hatsuki Fujinami

AbstractEast of Eurasia, moist air is transported poleward, forming the Meiyu–Baiu front over East Asia in late June and early July. Recently, unusually heavy rainfall may have increased, causing catastrophic flooding in East Asia. Here, unique 23-year precipitation satellite radar data confirm recent enhancement in Meiyu–Baiu heavy rainfall from eastern China to southwestern Japan, which is also evident from independent conventional observations. Decadal changes in rainfall have been physically consistent with enhanced transport of water vapour due to the intensified Pacific subtropical high associated with weakened tropical cyclone activity over the Northwest Pacific. Furthermore, the upper-tropospheric trough, associated with wave train along the subtropical jet, influenced Meiyu–Baiu precipitation over East Asia. Long-term and continuous satellite radar observations reveal that the frequency of heavy precipitation along the Meiyu–Baiu front has increased in the last 22 years. In particular, heavy precipitation (10 mm/h) increased by 24% between 1998–2008 and 2009–2019, and the abruptly-changed level likely induced recent meteorological disasters across East Asia. This trend may also explain the severity of the 2020 Meiyu–Baiu season. Over the last decade, this front has likely transitioned to a new climate state, which requires adaptation of disaster prevention approaches.


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