Abstract
Abstract. The spatial and temporal characteristics of the frequencies of four types of high-impact weather (HIW), i.e. snowfall, thunderstorms, fog and hailstorms, were analysed in China during 1959–2014. Results indicate a significant decrease in the number of snowfall days, thunderstorm days and thunderstorm spells in all six regions of China, with regional decreasing rates of 0.1–3.4 days, 1.6–5.1 days and 0.23–0.77 times per decade respectively. The number of foggy days, hailstorm days and snowfall spells decreased at rates of 0.2–1.8 days, 0.1–0.7 days and 0.14–0.44 times per decade respectively in almost all regions and fog and hailstorm spells decreased at rates of 0.06–0.17 and 0.001–0.043 times per decade respectively in most regions of China. Spatially, there was more snowfall in northeastern China and western China, and more thunderstorms in southern China and southwestern China. The number of fog events was larger in some high mountain stations, eastern China and central China. Hailstorms were concentrated on Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Over the past 56 years, snowfall days, thunderstorm days and thunderstorm spells decreased in most parts of China, and hailstorm days decreased in northeastern China, most parts of northern China and Tibet, southern Qinghai and western Sichuan. The spatial trends of foggy days, foggy spells, snowfall spells and hailstorm spells were not significant in most parts of China. With global warming, some types of HIW are likely to increase in their intensities, so more mitigation and adaptation strategies are still essential for local government and the public in China.
Highlights
The globally averaged surface temperature data, as calculated by a linear trend, show a warming of 0.85 [0.65 to 1.06] ◦C over the period 1880 to 2012, and the increase of global surface temperatures for 2081–2100 relative to 1986– 2005 is projected to likely be in the range of 0.3–4.8 ◦C (IPCC, 2013)
If any of the above-mentioned weather phenomena occurred on 1 day simultaneously, the day was recorded as the corresponding type of high-impact weather (HIW) respectively
During 1959–2014, annual average days and spells of snowfall decreased in all six regions of China, especially in Northeast China (NEC), North China (NC), Yangtze River valley (YR), Northwest China (NWC) and Southwest China (SWC), the decreasing trends in both days and spells of snowfall were all significant (Table 1 and Fig. 2)
Summary
The globally averaged surface temperature data, as calculated by a linear trend, show a warming of 0.85 [0.65 to 1.06] ◦C over the period 1880 to 2012, and the increase of global surface temperatures for 2081–2100 relative to 1986– 2005 is projected to likely be in the range of 0.3–4.8 ◦C (IPCC, 2013). Typhoon, snowfall, fog and haze can often lead to flood, flash flood, debris flow and low visibility, and cause significant economic, social and environmental impacts and damage; this kind of weather is called HIW (Li et al, 2013; Done et al, 2015; Shi et al, 2015). Analysis of the long-term climatic characteristics of HIW is conducive to improving the weather forecast capacity, reducing the loss of human life and property and developing climate change mitigation and adaptation plans (de Vyver, 2012; Li et al, 2013), which further has great significance for national economic and social development. The main HIW in China includes typhoons, rainstorms, thunderstorms, gales, heatwaves, fog, haze, hailstorms, tornadoes and snowstorms (Shi and Cui, 2012).
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