Interdecadal Variation in the Synoptic Features of Mei-Yu in the Yangtze River Valley Region and Relationship with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation

Abstract

Abstract This study introduces a multivariable covariance index (MVCI) to illustrate the synoptic features of mei-yu in the Yangtze River valley (YRV) region, which contains information of three indicators of mei-yu including precipitation, surface relative humidity, and tropospheric vertical motion. The interdecadal variation in the synoptic features of mei-yu during 1961–2016 is investigated using the MVCI. The date of mei-yu peak and the intensity of mei-yu underwent noticeable interdecadal variations over past decades, which are characterized by a delayed (relatively early) mei-yu peak and a relatively large (small) mei-yu intensity during 1985–97 (1961–80 and 2006–16). The mechanisms of these interdecadal variations are further discussed. The interdecadal variation in the date of mei-yu peak is mainly modulated by the meridional water vapor transport over eastern China during June, which may be partially attributed to an influence of the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) on the clockwise gyre over the North Pacific during boreal summer. The interdecadal variation in mei-yu intensity is associated with the interdecadal variation of tropospheric vertical motion over the YRV region during boreal summer, which may be partially attributed to an interaction between the PDO and the large-scale tropical east–west circulation during boreal summer. In addition, the interdecadal variation in the water vapor flux budget and relative humidity over the YRV region also exerted an impact on the interdecadal variation of mei-yu intensity in the YRV region.