Correlation analysis of persistent heavy rainfall events in the vicinity of the Yangtze River valley and global outgoing longwave radiation in the preceding month

Abstract

Based on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) daily satellite dataset of global outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) for the period of 1974–2004 and the NCEP-NCAR reanalysis for 1971–2004, the linkage between persistent heavy rainfall (PHR) events in the vicinity of the Yangtze River valley and global OLR leading up to those events (with 1- to 30-day lag) was investigated. The results reveal that there is a significant connection between the initiation of PHR events over the study area and anomalous convective activity over the tropical Indian Ocean, maritime continent, and tropical western Pacific Ocean. During the 30-day period prior to the onset of PHR events, the major significantly anomalous convective centers have an apparent dipole structure, always with enhanced convection in the west and suppressed convection in the east. This dipole structure continuously shifts eastward with time during the 30-day lead period. The influence of the anomalous convective activity over the tropical oceans on the initiation of PHR events over the study area is achieved via an interaction between tropical and extratropical latitudes. More specifically, anomalous convective activity weakens the Walker circulation cell over the tropical Indian Ocean first. This is followed by a weakening of the Indian summer monsoon background state and the excitation and dispersion of Rossby wave activity over Eurasia. Finally, a major modulation of the large scale background circulation occurs. As a result, the condition of a phase-lock among major large scale circulation features favoring PHR events is established over the study area.