Atmosphere (Apr 2023)
Analysis of the Triggering and Maintenance Mechanisms of a Record-Breaking Warm-Sector Extreme-Rainfall Process in Front of an Upper-Level Trough in Tianjin, China
Abstract
A short-time rainstorm exceeding the extreme historical rainfall occurred in the Jinnan District of Tianjin, China, on 3 July 2022. Due to the concentrated time period of precipitation, it caused serious water accumulation in the Jinnan District. The purpose of this paper is to study the weather mechanism of this extreme rainstorm in the Jinan District of Tianjin. By analyzing the fine observation facts, we can obtain the mesoscale weather characteristics and environmental conditions of the process. The results provide a reference for similar weather forecasting and warning in the future. Based on the 1 min interval precipitation observation data, the ERA5 reanalysis data, the CINRAD-SA radar reflectivity data of Tanggu, the cloud-top brightness temperature data of the Fengyun-4A satellite, and the Variational Doppler Radar Analysis System data, we comprehensively analyzed a record-breaking extreme rainfall process in Tianjin on 3 July 2022. The results show that the extreme rainfall process presents prominent mesoscale weather characteristics, with high precipitation intensity in a short-term period. This process is influenced by multi-scale weather systems, including the 500 hPa upper-level trough and the long-distance water vapor transport by Typhoon Chaba. The rainstorm event is caused by the combined actions of cold pool outflow produced by the upstream precipitation, the easterly disturbance in the boundary layer, the mesoscale temperature front, and the ground convergence line. Specifically, the ground convergence line is formed by the northerly wind of the cold pool outflow and the warm and moist southerly airflow from the ocean, and the temperature front is caused by the horizontal thermal difference of the underlying surface. Both the ground convergence line and temperature front contribute considerably to the triggering of mesoscale convection. The mesoscale secondary circulation is formed in the meridional direction by the meso-γ-scale convergence and its interaction with strong velocity in front of the trough, contributing to the development and maintenance of vertical motion in the Jinnan region of Tianjin and thereby leading to the occurrence and development of this extreme heavy rainfall process.
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