A Teleconnection between the Reduction of Rainfall in Southwest Western Australia and North China

Abstract

Abstract Rainfall in both southwest Western Australia (SWWA) and North China (NC) has been declining substantially since the mid-1960s, which has led to a series of droughts in both regions since then. Using observed rainfall datasets in China and Australia and the NCEP reanalysis dataset during 1951–2008, it is found that the decline of SWWA rainfall occurs in early austral winter [May–July (MJJ)] while the reduction of NC rainfall is in late boreal summer [July–September (JAS)]. The relationship between SWWA MJJ rainfall and NC JAS rainfall during 1951–2008 is then examined, and it is found that a significant link exists between these two rainfall series with a correlation of 0.43 and this link remains after the data are detrended. In particular, this relationship accounts for up to 62% variance on interdecadal time scales, and seems to be driven by the poleward shift of the southern subtropical high ridge (SSHR) and the northern subtropical high ridge (NSHR) over longitudes 110°–150°E. The poleward shift of the SSHR may induce an anomalous anticyclone centered near the south Australian coast, resulting in anomalous easterlies of dry air to SWWA, while the poleward shift of the NSHR is associated with an anomalous anticyclone in East Asia near NC causing anomalous northeasterlies of dry air to NC. The poleward shift of SSHR/NSHR may be linked to the warming sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the tropical Indian-western Pacific. The results herein suggest that the poleward shifts of the SSHR and the NSHR instigated by the warming SSTs in the tropical Indian–western Pacific may have partially contributed to the rainfall reduction in both regions.