Foreshowing of the Western Pacific tropical cyclone track to PM10 air pollution episode in the Beijing area

Abstract

By utilizing the air quality monitoring data and the NCEP reanalysis data, the relationship between the PM10 air pollution episode and synoptic situation is analyzed in the Beijing area. It is interesting to find that PM10 air pollution episode in and around the Beijing area is correlated with the Western Pacific tropical cyclone track to some extent, namely when a tropical cyclone lands southward to the Changjiang River, PM10 air pollution episode is not easy to take place generally in the Beijing area; but when a tropical cyclone moves northward and finally lands at the Korea Peninsula or the Japanese mainland, and under this condition the Beijing area is generally controlled by weak high or weak low for several days, PM10 air pollution episode often takes place in one day or several days. Above findings indicate that predicting the Western Pacific tropical cyclone track can foretell whether or not PM10 air pollution episode takes place in the Beijing area, which can offer a technique for urban air quality prediction and air pollution source management in the Beijing area.