The Mesoscale Heavy Rainfall Observing System (MHROS) over the middle region of the Yangtze River in China

Abstract

AbstractThe Mesoscale Heavy Rainfall Observing System (MHROS), supported by the Institute of Heavy Rain (IHR), Chinese Meteorology Administration, is one of the major systems to observe mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) over the middle region of the Yangtze River in China. The IHR MHROS consists of mobile C‐POL and X‐POL precipitation radars, millimeter wavelength cloud radar, fixed S‐band precipitation radars, GPS network, microwave radiometers, radio soundings, wind profiler radars, and disdrometers. The atmospheric variables observed or retrieved by these instruments include the profiles of atmospheric temperature, moisture, wind speed and direction, vertical structures of MCS clouds and precipitation, atmospheric water vapor, and cloud liquid water. These quality‐controlled observations and retrievals have been used in mesoscale numerical weather prediction to improve the accuracy of weather forecasting and MCS research since 2007. These long‐term observations have provided the most comprehensive data sets for researchers to investigate the formation‐dissipation processes of MCSs and for modelers to improve their simulations of MCSs. As the first paper of a series, we briefly introduce the IHR MHROS and describe the specifications of its major instruments. Then, we provide an integrative analysis of the IHR MHROS observations for a heavy rain case on 3–5 July 2014 as well as the application of IHR MHROS observations in improving the model simulations. In a series of papers, we will tentatively answer several key scientific questions related to the MCS and Meiyu frontal systems over the middle region of the Yangtze River using the IHR MHROS observations.