Variability and probability of annual and extreme precipitation over Serbia and Montenegro

Summary Annual precipitation over Serbia and Montenegro is studied in terms of its variability. The dependence of three selected absolute measures of variability (standard deviation, absolute mean deviation and mean absolute interannual variability) from the mean annual precipitation are examined for the area of interest. Two cases of extreme precipitation in Serbia were analysed using the gamma probability density function and some transformations.     

近55 a中国西北地区夏季降水的时空演变特征

利用1961—2015年中国西北地区274个气象观测站点的日降水数据和再分析大气资料,采用EOF分析及累积距平等方法,研究了近55 a中国西北地区夏季降水的时空演变特征。结果表明：1）1961—2015年中国西北地区夏季降水的演变可分为三个时段,1961—1975年,该区域降水普遍偏少;1976—1996年,西北地区的东部降水偏多,西部降水偏少;1997—2015年,其东部降水偏少,而西部降水偏多。2）1976—1996年,西北地区东部降水偏多,是因为该地区夏季降水强度和降水频次明显增加,而西部降水偏少,则是该区域小雨与中雨的频次减少,降水强度偏弱造成的;1997—2015年,由于有效降水日数减少,降水强度偏弱等原因导致西北地区东部降水偏少,与此同时,西北地区的西部却因降水强度明显增强,持续降水日数和极端降水事件增加使得该区域降水呈现偏多的态势。3）降水区的转移,伴随着北半球对流层中层中纬度波列的演变,同时来自东欧与印度季风的水汽输送也对降水的异常起到了关键作用。     

新疆夏季降水和冬季气温预测方法及效果评估

本文利用4个国内外先进的气候模式（国家气候中心、ECMWF、NCEP和JMA）业务预测数据,采用2种多模式集合方法（等权平均和超级集合）、3种降尺度方法（BP-CCA、EOF迭代、高相关回归集成）和3种统计方法（CCA、最优气候值、高相关回归集成）以及降尺度集成和降尺度-统计方法集成,分析了目前季节模式、多模式集合、降尺度、统计方法、降尺度-统计集合等目前常用气候预测技术对新疆夏季降水和冬季气温的业务预测能力。 研究表明,以上技术方法对新疆夏季降水和冬季气温的预测预测能力有较大差别。目前先进的气候业务模式的预测技巧普遍很低,多模式超级集合和降尺度方法的技巧常高于单个模式,并且最佳的降尺度方法通常技巧高于最佳多模式集合方法。同时,统计方法和降尺度方法的预测技巧通常较为接近,而对二者进行超级集合可以具有相对很高的预测技巧。此外,现有常用气候预测技术方法对新疆夏季降水和冬季气温的趋势有一定的预测能力,但对气候异常的空间分布基本无预测能力。建议新疆气候预测技术围绕统计和降尺度方法集合发展。     

格点降水资料在中国东部夏季降水变率研究中的适用性

本文使用1951~2010年PREC、CRU、APHRO和GPCC 4种格点降水资料,通过比较其与中国756站点观测降水资料在中国东部(105°E以东)夏季降水变率中的差异,检验和评估了它们的可靠性和适用性。结果表明:中国东部夏季降水变率的前3个主要模态分别是以江淮流域、长江流域和华北与东北南部为核心的经向多中心分布,有明显的年际和年代际变率特征,且干旱特征较洪涝更明显;长江流域夏季降水异常的主周期为3~7 a和20~50 a,而江淮流域和华北地区夏季降水异常的主周期则为准2 a和准10 a。另外,长江与江淮流域和华南地区分别在1970s末和1990s初发生了显著的年代际转变;4种格点降水资料都能很好地再现中国东部夏季降水的时空变率特征,但由于GPCC格点降水资料是基于更多的基站观测和更精细复杂的质量控制方案得到的,因此它具有更高的可靠性。     

Spatial and temporal variability of summer rainfall over Ethiopia from observations and a regional climate model experiment

The spatial and temporal variability of rainfall over Ethiopia during the summer (JJAS) season is studied using observations (both station and satellite based) and model simulation data. The simulation dataset is generated using the fourth version of the International Center for Theoretical Physics Regional Climate Model (RegCM4) for the period 1989–2005. Ethiopia is first divided into 12 homogeneous regions using criteria including rotated empirical orthogonal function (REOF), spatial correlation, seasonal cycles, and topographical features. Spatially averaged observed and simulated rainfall time series are then generated and analyzed for each region. Standardized rainfall anomalies of the observations and the simulated data are highly correlated over the northern, western, northeastern, central, and southwestern regions, while a weak correlation is found over the border regions of the country. The dominant modes of rainfall variability are identified using REOF, while time–frequency variations of different dominant modes are described by wavelet analysis. The first leading patterns of rainfall and upper wind (averaged between 100 and 300 hPa) are highly correlated and exhibit similar features between simulation and observations over the northern, western, southwestern, and eastern regions of Ethiopia. The second loading pattern of rainfall and the first loading pattern of low-level wind (averaged between 850 and 1,000 hPa) exhibit a dipole structure across the southwestern and northeastern regions of the country. The dominant signals in the first rotated principal component (RPC) of rainfall and upper level wind fields show a period of 4–5 and 2–3 years, while the dominant signals in the second RPC show a period of 2–3 years at a 0.05 significance level. The correlations of significant RPCs across gauge, gridded, and model rainfall fields with that of low and upper level winds show the presence of a significant relationship (correlation exceeding ～0.6). Overall, the RegCM4 shows a good performance in simulating the spatial and temporal variability of precipitation over Ethiopia.     

Cross-season relation of the South China Sea precipitation variability between winter and summer

The present study reveals cross-season connections of rainfall variability in the South China Sea (SCS) region between winter and summer. Rainfall anomalies over northern South China Sea in boreal summer tend to be preceded by the same sign rainfall anomalies over southern South China Sea in boreal winter (denoted as in-phase relation) and succeeded by opposite sign rainfall anomalies over southern South China Sea in the following winter (denoted as out-of-phase relation). Analysis shows that the in-phase relation from winter to summer occurs more often in El Niño/La Niña decaying years and the out-of-phase relation from summer to winter appears more frequently in El Niño/La Niña developing years. In the summer during the El Niño/La Niña decaying years, cold/warm and warm/cold sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies develop in tropical central North Pacific and the North Indian Ocean, respectively, forming an east–west contrast pattern. The in-phase relation is associated with the influence of anomalous heating/cooling over the equatorial central Pacific during the mature phase of El Niño/La Niña events that suppresses/enhances precipitation over southern South China Sea and the impact of the above east–west SST anomaly pattern that reduces/increases precipitation over northern South China Sea during the following summer. The impact of the east–west contrast SST anomaly pattern is confirmed by numerical experiments with specified SST anomalies. In the El Niño/La Niña developing years, regional air-sea interactions induce cold/warm SST anomalies in the equatorial western North Pacific. The out-of-phase relation is associated with a Rossby wave type response to anomalous heating/cooling over the equatorial central Pacific during summer and the combined effect of warm/cold SST anomalies in the equatorial central Pacific and cold/warm SST anomalies in the western North Pacific during the mature phase of El Niño/La Niña events.     

Annual and seasonal variability of precipitation in Vojvodina,Serbia

Annual and seasonal variability of precipitation observed at 92 stations in Vojvodina (Serbia) were analyzed during the period 1946–2006. The rainfall series were examined by means of the empirical orthogonal functions (EOF). The first set of singular vectors explains from 68.8 % (in summer) to 81.8 % (in winter) of the total variance. The temporal variability of the time series associated with the main EOF configurations (the principal components, PCs) was examined using the Mann–Kendall test and the spectral analysis. The time series of PC1 revealed decreasing trend in the winter and spring precipitation and increasing trend in the autumn, summer, and annual precipitation. The relationships between the first PC and circulation patterns, such as the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), the East Atlantic (EA) pattern, and East Atlantic/West Russia pattern, were also investigated. The PC1, displaying temporal behavior of the first mode, demonstrated evident correspondence with the NAO index in analysis of the annual, winter, and autumn precipitation. Power spectra of the PC1 show statistically significant oscillations of about 3.3 years for the spring precipitation and about 8 and 15 years for the winter precipitation. Comparisons with spectral analysis of authors for some regions in Europe, most of them in the Mediterranean domain, show that similar periodicities are detected.     

Observed,reconstructed, and simulated decadal variability of summer precipitation over eastern China

Based on observations made during recent decades, reconstructed precipitation for the period A.D. 1736–2000, dry–wet index data for A.D. 500–2000, and a 1000-yr control simulation using the Community Earth System Model with fixed pre-industrial external forcing, the decadal variability of summer precipitation over eastern China is studied. Power spectrum analysis shows that the dominant cycles for the decadal variation of summer precipitation are: 22–24 and quasi-70 yr over the North China Plain; 32–36, 44–48, and quasi-70 yr in the Jiang–Huai area; and 32–36 and 44–48 yr in the Jiang–Nan area. Bandpass decomposition from observation, reconstruction, and simulation reveals that the variability of summer precipitation over the North China Plain, Jiang–Huai area, and Jiang–Nan area, at scales of 20–35, 35–50, and 50–80 yr, is not consistent across the entire millennium. We also find that the warm (cold) phase of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation generally corresponds to dry (wet) conditions over the North China Plain, but wet (dry) conditions in the Jiang–Nan area, from A.D. 1800, when the PDO became strengthened. However, such a correspondence does not exist throughout the entire last millennium. Data–model comparison suggests that these decadal oscillations and their temporal evolution over eastern China, including the decadal shifts in the spatial pattern of the precipitation anomaly observed in the late 1970s, early 1990s, and early 2000s, might result from internal variability of the climate system.     

Multi-proxy summer and winter precipitation reconstruction for southern Africa over the last 200 years

This study presents the first consolidation of palaeoclimate proxy records from multiple archives to develop statistical rainfall reconstructions for southern Africa covering the last two centuries. State-of-the-art ensemble reconstructions reveal multi-decadal rainfall variability in the summer and winter rainfall zones. A decrease in precipitation amount over time is identified in the summer rainfall zone. No significant change in precipitation amount occurred in the winter rainfall zone, but rainfall variability has increased over time. Generally synchronous rainfall fluctuations between the two zones are identified on decadal scales, with common wet (dry) periods reconstructed around 1890 (1930). A strong relationship between seasonal rainfall and sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the surrounding oceans is confirmed. Coherence among decadal-scale fluctuations of southern African rainfall, regional SST, SSTs in the Pacific Ocean and rainfall in south-eastern Australia suggest SST-rainfall teleconnections across the southern hemisphere. Temporal breakdowns of the SST-rainfall relationship in the southern African regions and the connection between the two rainfall zones are observed, for example during the 1950s. Our results confirm the complex interplay between large-scale teleconnections, regional SSTs and local effects in modulating multi-decadal southern African rainfall variability over long timescales.     

Spatial and temporal characteristics of intraseasonal oscillations of precipitation over the United States

Summary  This study shows that precipitation over the United States has two time scales of intraseasonal variation at about 37 days and 24 days. The results are derived from the application of a combination of statistical methods including principal component analysis (PCA), singular spectrum analysis (SSA), and multi-channel singular spectrum analysis (MSSA) to over 10 years of gridded daily precipitation records. Both oscillations have largest amplitude during the cold season. The 37-day oscillation has larger interannual variability. Intraseasonal oscillations are most significant in the Pacific Northwest. The 37-day oscillation has opposite phases between the western and eastern United States, while the 24-day oscillation has the same phases. These intraseasonal time scale precipitation variations may be associated with previously revealed mid-tropospheric circulation anomalies that oscillate at similar time scales. Received February 7, 2000 Revised October 20, 2000     

北美洲冬季冷空气对南美洲夏季降水异常影响的研究

利用1981—2017年NCEP/NCAR再分析资料和ECMWF再分析资料,研究了北美洲冬季高纬度冷空气对南美洲夏季降水异常的影响。结果表明,北美洲冬季高纬度冷空气通过影响向南越赤道气流的强弱,影响南美洲热带辐合带（intertropical convergence zone, ITCZ）位置和强度的变化,进一步引起南美洲天气的变化。北美洲冬季冷空气的南下过程能够引起80°～70°W的向南越赤道气流明显加强,导致2011年南美洲热带辐合带的位置异常偏南,强度异常偏强,是造成降水异常偏多的重要成因。通过相关分析发现北美洲冬季冷空气对南美洲ITCZ位置的影响更明显。     

Interannual variability of summer monsoon precipitation over the Indochina Peninsula in association with ENSO

The interannual variability of summer monsoon precipitation (1979–2011) over the Indochina Peninsula (ICP) is characterized using the first empirical orthogonal function of 5-month total precipitation (May to September). The leading mode, with a monopole pattern, accounts for 30.6 % of the total variance. Dynamic composites and linear regression analysis indicate that the rainy season precipitation over the ICP is linked to El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on interannual scales. The preceding winter [D(?1)JF(0)] negative sea surface temperature (SST) over the Niño-3.4 region is predominantly correlated with the rainy season precipitation over the ICP. Notably, the simultaneous correlation between remote SST anomalies in the Niño-3.4 region and the rainy season precipitation over the ICP is weak. The interannual variation of tropical cyclones modulated by ENSO is a significant contributing factor to the rainy season precipitation over the ICP. However, this relationship is not homogeneous over the ICP if ENSO is considered. Before removing the ENSO signal, enhanced precipitation is present over the northeastern part of the ICP and reduced precipitation appears in the western ICP, especially in coastal areas. In contrast, after removing ENSO, only a minor significant positive precipitation anomaly occurs over the northeastern part of the ICP and the negative anomaly appears particularly in the western and eastern coastal regions. The results obtained through the present study are useful for our understanding of circulation mechanisms and provide information for assessing the ability of regional and global climate models in simulating the climate of Southeast Asia.     

On the relationship between the winter Eurasian teleconnection pattern and the following summer precipitation over China

The Eurasian teleconnection pattern(EU) is an important low-frequency pattern with well-known impacts on climate anomalies in Eurasia. The difference of low-level v-winds in several regions in the Eurasian mid–high latitudes is defined as the EU index(EUIV). In this study, the relationship between the winter EUIVand precipitation in the following summer over China is investigated. Results show that there is a significant positive(negative) correlation between the winter EUIVand the following summer precipitation over North China(the Yangtze River–Huaihe River basins). Meanwhile, an interdecadal variability exists in the interannual relationship, and the correlation has become significantly enhanced since the early 1980 s.Thus, the proposed EUIVmay have implications for the prediction of summer precipitation anomalies over China. In positive winter EUIVyears, three cyclonic circulation anomalies are observed—over the Ural Mountains, the Okhotsk Sea, and the subtropical western North Pacific. That is, the Ural blocking and Okhotsk blocking are inactive, zonal circulation prevails in the mid–high latitudes, and the western Pacific subtropical high tends to be weaker and locates to the north of its normal position in the following summer. This leads to above-normal moisture penetrating into the northern part of East China, and significant positive(negative) precipitation anomalies over North China(the Yangtze River–Huaihe River basins), and vice versa. Further examination shows that the SST anomalies over the Northwest Pacific and subtropical central North Pacific may both contribute to the formation of EUIV-related circulation anomalies over the western North Pacific.     

Atmospheric moisture budget and its regulation of the summer precipitation variability over the Southeastern United States

Atmospheric moisture budget and its regulation of the summer (June–July–August) precipitation over the Southeastern United State (SE U.S.) were examined during 1948–2007 using PRECipitation REConstruction over Land and multiple reanalysis datasets. The analysis shows that the interannual variation of SE U.S. summer precipitation can be largely explained by the leading Empirical Orthogonal Function mode showing a spatially homogenous sub-continental scale pattern. Consequently, areal-averaged precipitation was investigated to focus on the large-scale rainfall changes over the SE U.S. The wavelet analysis identifies an increased 2–4 year power spectrum in recent 30 years (1978–2007), suggesting an intensification of the interannual variability. Analysis of the atmospheric moisture budget indicates that the increase in precipitation variability is mainly caused by moisture transport, which exhibits a similar increase in the 2–4 year power spectrum for the same period. Moisture transport, in turn, is largely controlled by the seasonal mean component rather than the subseasonal-scale eddies. Furthermore, our results indicate that dynamic processes (atmospheric circulation) are more important than thermodynamic processes (specific humidity) in regulating the interannual variation of moisture transport. Specifically, the North Atlantic Subtropical High western ridge position is found to be a primary regulator, with the ridge in the northwest (southwest) corresponding to anomalous moisture divergence (convergence) over the SE U.S. Changes in moisture transport consistent with the increased frequency of these two ridge types in recent 30 years favor the intensification of summer precipitation variability.     

Interannual variability of winter precipitation over northwest India and adjoining region: impact of global forcings

The role of El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the mechanism through which ENSO influences the precipitation variability over northwest India and the adjoining (NWIA) region is well documented. In this study, the relative role of North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)/Arctic Oscillation (AO) and ENSO in modulating the Asian jet stream in the Northern Hemisphere winter and their relative impact on the precipitation variability over the region have been estimated through analysis of observed data. It is seen that interannual variations of NWIA precipitation are largely influenced by ENSO. An empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis has been carried out to understand dominant modes of interannual variability of zonal wind at 200 hPa of the Northern Hemisphere. The EOF-1 pattern in the tropical region is similar to that of an ENSO pattern, and the principal component (PC) time series corresponds to the ENSO time series. The EOF-2 spatial pattern resembles that of NAO/AO with correlation of PC time series with AO and NAO being 0.74 and 0.62, respectively. The precipitation anomaly time series over the region of interest has marginally higher correlation with the PC-2 time series as compared to that of PC-1. Regression analysis of precipitation and circulation parameters indicates a larger contribution of the second mode to variability of winds and precipitation over the NWIA. Moisture transport from the Arabian Sea during the active phase of NAO/AO and the presence of a cyclonic anomaly lead to higher precipitation over the NWIA region.     

Interdecadal variability of winter precipitation in Southeast China

Interdecadal variability of observed winter precipitation in Southeast China (1961–2010) is characterized by the first empirical orthogonal function of the three-monthly Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) subjected to a 9-year running mean. For interdecadal time scales the dominating spatial modes represent monopole features involving the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and the sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies. Dynamic composite analysis (based on NCEP/NCAR reanalyzes) reveals the following results: (1) Interdecadal SPI-variations show a trend from a dryer state in the 1970s via an increase during the 1980s towards stabilization on wetter conditions commencing with the 1990s. (2) Increasing wetness in Southeast China is attributed to an abnormal anticyclone over south Japan, with northward transport of warm and humid air from the tropical Pacific to South China. (3) In mid-to-high latitudes the weakened southward flow of polar airmasses induces low-level warming over Eurasia due to stronger AO by warmer zonal temperature advection. This indicates that AO is attributed to the Southeast China precipitation increase influenced by circulation anomalies over the mid-to-high latitudes. (4) The abnormal moisture transport along the southwestern boundary of the abnormal anticyclone over south Japan is related to anomalous south-easterlies modulated by the SST anomalies over Western Pacific Ocean; a positive (negative) SST anomaly will strengthen (weaken) warm and humid air transport, leading to abundant (reduced) precipitation in Southeast China. That is both AO and SST anomalies determine the nonlinear trend observed in winter precipitation over Southeast China.     

Spatial and temporal variability of urban tree canopy temperature during summer 2010 in Berlin, Germany

Trees form a significant part of the urban vegetation. Their meteorological and climatological effects at all scales in urban environments make them a flexible tool for creating a landscape oriented to the needs of an urban dweller. This study aims at quantifying the spatio-temporal patterns of canopy temperature (T _C) and canopy-to-air temperature difference (?T _C) in relation to meteorological conditions and tree-specific (physiological) and urban site-specific characteristics. We observed T _C and ?T _C of 67 urban trees (18 species) using a high-resolution thermal-infrared (TIR) camera and meteorological measurements in the city of Berlin, Germany. TIR images were recorded at 1-min intervals over a period of 2?months from 1st July to 31st August 2010. The results showed that ?T _C depends on tree species, leaf size and fraction of impervious surfaces. Average canopy temperature was nearly equal to air temperature. Species-specific maximum ?T _C varied between 1.9?±?0.3?K (Populus nigra), 2.9?±?0.3?K (Quercus robur), 3.2?±?0.5?K (Fagus sylvatica), 3.9?±?1.0?K (Platanus acerifolia), 4.6?±?0.2?K (Acer pseudoplatanus), 5.0?±?0.5?K (A. platanoides) and 5.6?±?1.1?K (A. campestre). We analysed ?T _C for a hot and dry period (A) and a warm and wet period (B). The range of species-specific ?T _C at noon was nearly equal, i.e. 4.4?K for period A and 4.2?K for period B. Trees surrounded by high fraction of impervious surfaces showed consistently higher ?T _C. Knowledge of species-specific canopy temperature and the impacts of urban structures are essential in order to optimise the benefits from trees in cities. However, comprehensive evaluation and optimisation should take the full range of climatological effects into account.     

1960—2016年中国北方半干旱区盛夏降水时空变化及其水汽输送特征分析

基于气象台站降水观测资料,本文分析了1960—2016年半干旱区盛夏（7、8月）降水量时空变化特征,探讨了典型降水量时空分布型与大气环流及水汽输送的关系。结果表明,1960—2016年半干旱区7月和8月降水量的主导空间模态均可归纳为“区域一致型”和“区内反向型”。“区域一致型”时间序列显示1960—2016年7、8月降水量均呈减少趋势,但8月减少趋势更明显。这一时间序列与大气环流及水汽通量输送之间相关性分析显示,欧亚遥相关以及中纬度西风气流与7月降水量变化密切相关;而西太平洋副热带高压是影响半干旱区8月降水量变化的主要原因。相较而言,“区内反向型”年际变率较小但年代际变化明显,当北方半干旱区受反气旋性环流控制时,易形成北方半干旱区西部地区降水偏多而东部地区偏少的格局。