In the present work, seven different extreme precipitation events, that affected Liguria region (Italy) in the past ten years, were analysed in depth by means of sub-km resolution numerical simulations with the state-of-the-art non-hydrostatic Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) mesoscale model. The study aims at evaluating the impact on quantitative precipitation forecast of an explicit description

Predicting the erosive potential of rain events and the overall risk of soil erosion (and other hydrologic phenomena triggered by or related to extreme rainfall) requires understanding of the background meteorology that affects rainfall characteristics. The sensitivity of total rainfall kinetic energy, 15-min peak intensities, and event total depth were evaluated with respect to pre-event atmospheric

Quantitative evaluation of the performance of satellite and reanalysis precipitation datasets is challenging but indispensable for hydroclimate research on poorly gauged regions. This study comprehensively assesses satellite precipitation products (IMERG_E, IMERG_L, IMERG_F, CHIRPS, TRMM_3B42, TRMM_3B42RT) and reanalysis product (ERA-Interim) over the eastern Tibetan Plateau from 2008 to 2019. Each

In order to cope with heavy haze pollution in Beijing, the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan was issued in 2013. In this study, we took January observations from 2014 to 2018 as a case study to assess wintertime air quality improvement in Beijing after five years of continuous emission control measures and to investigate the causes of haze formation. SO2 and NO2 concentrations in January

In this study, a comprehensive assessment has been provided for the performance of three newly-developed high resolution reanalysis (IMDAA, NGFS, ERA5) datasets w.r.t. IMD rainfall observation over six homogeneous monsoon regions of India during 1999–2018. It is necessary to understand how these reanalyses rainfall datasets are performing spatio-temporally, specifically during monsoon in order to apply

High-resolution (6 km × 6 km) reanalyses (HRR) have been generated using the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF-ARW) and three-dimensional variational-Ensemble Kalman Filter (3DEnKF). The six-hourly cyclic downscaling methodology has been used to develop HRR for simulating the life cycle of three rapidly intensified long-life tropical cyclones (TCs) viz. Fani, Ockhi, and

To ensure a good air quality during the 7th Military World Games (MWG) held in the megacity, Wuhan of central China, an unprecedented substantial emission reduction has been conducted during October 13–27, 2019. Here we present an observational overview on the effects of emission control measures as well as their implications by integrated satellite observations and surface measurements. Compared with

By using ozonesonde measurements during July–August in 2016, 2019, and 2020 at Golmud and Qaidam, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) next-generation reanalysis ERA5 data, satellite-borne Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer data products, and backward trajectory calculations from the chemical Lagrangian model of the stratosphere (CLaMS) model, this study analyzes vertical

The performance of Cumulus Convection Schemes (CCSs) in Regional Climate Model (RCM) is investigated for the long-term (34 years) simulation of daily rainfall over different homogeneous monsoon regions (HMRs) of India. Characteristics of both southwest monsoon (aka summer monsoon) and northeast monsoon (aka winter monsoon or return monsoon) are analysed while assessing the performance. Indian monsoon

Little is known about the effects of glacier-air interactions on the Himalayan glacier mass balance. Until this knowledge gap is filled, a reliable projection of the future changes in the Himalayan glaciers is hardly possible. Here, we describe the drying effect of the katabatic winds on the up-valley summer monsoon flows by creating favorable conditions for local convergence-induced precipitation

The study deals with formative stages and lead detection time of tropical cyclogenesis using Okubo-Weiss Parameter, a proven robust eddy detection technique used for tropical cyclones that developed over the north Indian Ocean basin. Specifically, it aims to identify the initial traces of upper atmospheric genesis and understand the spatio-temporal evolution of pre-cyclonic eddy vortices in the atmospheric

Wind forecast is an essential part of both weather and renewable energy predictions. This study investigated the performances of the weather research and forecasting (WRF) model real-time four-dimensional data assimilation (RTFDDA) and forecasting system for surface wind forecast over China. The system has been running operationally since 2016 with an analysis/forecast cycle every 3 h. The surface

Understanding the patterns of dryness/wetness in the warming context is important for stakeholders to formulate adaptation strategies to minimize the impacts of floods and droughts. Spatial and temporal characteristics of regional temperature, precipitation, potential evapotranspiration (PET) and dryness/wetness variation were investigated for the period from 2015 to 2100 under SSPs-RCPs in Northwest

In this work, we study the space-time statistical features of variations in the atmospheric electric field (Ez) and space charge in the atmospheric boundary layer using a three-dimensional model and analysis of observational data. The model is a combination of large-eddy simulation supplemented with a subgrid kinematic model for scalar and the three-dimensional Poisson equation for the electric potential

The southeastern Tibetan Plateau (TP) is the critical region of water vapor transport over the TP. Ground-based Ka-band cloud radar (KaCR) measurements collected at the Motuo National Climate Observatory in 2019 were used to analyze the physical properties of clouds at the front of the water vapor channel over the TP. The cloud top heights (CTHs) measured by the KaCR were verified through a comparison

The seasonal and diurnal characteristics of localized convective rain events in Metro Manila, Philippines were examined using observations from 16 automated weather stations in the city during the years 2013–2014. After partitioning total rainfall to determine the proportion that is mainly due to localized convection, the diurnal patterns of frequency and intensity of convective rain were then investigated

Heatwaves are the most relevant extreme climatic events, particularly in the context of global warming and the related increasing impacts on society and the natural environment. This work presents an analysis of climate change scenarios with simulations from the EURO-CORDEX project using the excess heat factor over the Iberian Peninsula. We focus on climate change projections of the heatwave intensity

This study conducted a VOCs monitoring campaign in Jul and Oct of 2018, Jan and Apr of 2019 in Beijing urban area, to explore the atmospheric oxidation capacity and its impact on PM2.5 there through investigating the chemical behaviors of VOCs at a 1-h time resolution. We totally detected 53 VOCs in the atmosphere over Beijing, sum of them (TVOCs) reaching 29.0 ± 12.9, 47.6 ± 29.4, 45.7 ± 56.4 and

The characteristics of lightning corona sheath are of common concern in the lightning physics and lightning protection research. Using the spectra of two natural cloud-to-ground lightning including multiple return strokes recorded by a slit-less spectrograph, we investigated the electrical conductivity distribution along the radial direction of the channel. The results indicated that a high conductivity

The present study investigates the variability of surface ozone (O3) and its precursors (NOX, CO) at different time scales for 3-year period (2016–2018) using continuous ground-based observations from 25 stations located within the Indian Capital Delhi (28.83°N, 77.81°E). Observations indicate that there is a clear spatial heterogeneity and seasonality in surface O3 where larger magnitudes (40–60 ppb)

Central Asia is vulnerable to climate change due to its scarce water resources and fragile ecosystems. However, the limited number of meteorological observations in the region restrict the study of its climate, hydrology and ecology. In order to improve the downscaled springtime temperature in Central Asia, this study explored the impact of atmospheric and snow data assimilation on climate simulations

In midsummer (July-August) of 2017, the high temperature (HT) frequency in China breaks the record since 1951. For each HT threshold from 35 °C to 40 °C, the frequency is beyond the normal by 2.58–3.46 standard deviations. Specifically, the HT events in southern China make major contributions to the new record, and they demonstrate obvious temporal variations. The strongest episode in southern China

The formation of the Arctic cell associated with the two-wave middle-high latitude circulation, which is a major atmospheric circulation common to the three-cell and four-cell mean meridional circulations in the Northern Hemisphere, is analyzed using a long period of reanalysis data. In the context of the two-wave middle-high latitude circulation, when the high near the Arctic region from 120°E to

Three-moment bulk microphysics schemes are attractive since they can determine the shape parameter α of the gamma particle size distributions (PSDs) from the predicted moments, but they are more computationally expensive compared with two-moment schemes. In this study, new diagnostic relations between α and the mean-mass diameter are developed for rain, graupel and hail hydrometeor categories based

With the increasing concerns on summertime atmospheric photochemical pollution, the diagnosis and prevention of ozone pollution have been paid close attention. Both formaldehyde (HCHO) and glyoxal (CHOCHO) are ubiquitous oxidation intermediates of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The ratio of glyoxal to formaldehyde (RGF) is used as a metric for VOCs emission sources. In this study, the mixing ratios

Freezing precipitation, in the form of freezing rain, freezing drizzle, and/or wet snow, can damage transportation networks, infrastructure, and vegetation. Ten events with freezing precipitation (including freezing rain and wet snow) over the province of Manitoba, Canada were examined using surface observational datasets, reanalysis products and 4-km resolution Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF)

Kathmandu has one of the highest particulate matter air pollution levels in the world. However, few direct measurement data are available for long-term analyses, limiting policy interventions and public health advisories. Remote sensing-based data sets provide an alternative approach to address this issue. In this paper, we present an approach to analyze and understand the diurnal, seasonal, annual

The use of a high-resolution satellite-based precipitation product on a global-scale is attractive to hydrological applications. However, it should be systematically evaluated from various perspectives as the quality property is dependent on the geographical and topographical features of a region. This study aims to comprehensively assess the Climate Prediction Center morphing technique (CMORPH) precipitation

Based on the aerosol chemical components and aerosol optical depth (AOD) observation in Dunhuang, China, the Non-Negative Least Squares method has been innovatively applied to calculate the monthly averaged water-soluble aerosol density and obtain corresponding aerosol particles, and to further calculate AOD by upgrading the relevant parameters in Optical Properties of Aerosols and Clouds (OPAC). The

In this study, the integral and microscopic turbulent statistical characteristics of pressure fluctuations, applicability of the pressure gradient and pressure flux divergence to the Monin-Obukhov similarity theory (MOST), and contribution of the pressure transport term to turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) were analyzed using the turbulence observational data obtained from a field observational station

It is known that the global electric circuit (GEC) intensity can be characterised by a single global index, namely the ionospheric potential (IP), made up of contributions from electrified clouds all over the globe. Using the Weather Research and Forecasting model, we have reproduced the atmospheric dynamics for 2008–2018 and simulated the variation of the GEC by parameterising regional contributions

Mountain wave and icing episodes are adverse meteorological conditions that can affect aviation safety and air traffic management in the vicinity of airports. This study presents a mountain wave characterization performed for the winter months from 2001 to 2010 in the center of the Iberian Peninsula, close to an important orographic barrier and next to the busiest Spanish airport. Sixty-eight episodes

Nine rainfall events affecting southern China in the 2020 summer were studied by a novel anomaly-based synoptic analysis approach, and the results were compared to those of standard synoptic analysis. These rainfall events occurred in the Dragon-boat rainy season and Meiyu rainy season from the Pearl River to the Yangtze and Huaihe rivers and did not entirely follow the climatic seasonal march of the

The state of Kerala located in the southwestern part of India experienced heavy to extremely heavy rainfall events from 07 to 17 August 2018 during the southwest monsoon, leading to a devastating flood and extensive infrastructure damage. Rainfall analysis suggests that the prolonged heavy rainfall event between 14 and 17 August 2018, was responsible for the major devastation. In this work, the sensitivity

Variations of energy fluxes with ENSO, IOD, and Intra-Seasonal Variability(ISV) of Indian Summer Monsoon Rainfall (ISMR) over the Indian monsoon region are examined using ECMWF Era Interim reanalysis over a period of 1979–2013. The composite anomalies of radiative fluxes, viz. shortwave and longwave, latent, and sensible heat as well as precipitation and winds are analyzed for the years associated

Fine particle matter (PM2.5) significantly affects the atmospheric environment and human health. The satellite-derived aerosol optical depth (AOD), which could represent the concentration of atmospheric particles to a certain extent, is widely used for estimating ambient PM2.5 concentration, in combination with diverse auxiliary information. However, the general satellite-derived PM2.5 products exhibit

The atmospheric circulation and remote forcing of SST anomalies play an imporant role in the formation of large-scale cloud cover and precipitation anomalies as well as the patterns of diurnal temperature range (DTR) variability. In this study, the dominant patterns of the wintertime DTR variations over North America (NA) and the underlying mechnisms are investigated based on observational and reanalysis

The present study investigates the association of East Asian westerly jet (EAWJ) variations with spring rainfall anomalies in Northern China and Yangtze-Huaihe River Valley (NC-YHV) and the dynamics using reanalysis datasets. Based on the climatology and interannual variation in 200-hPa zonal winds, the index EAWJI is defined as the average 200-hPa zonal wind velocity over a zonal 10-degree-width belt

A hybrid downscaling model for operational prediction of summer precipitation at 160 stations over China is proposed in this paper. The prediction model is conducted in February, and six predictors extending from the tropics to high latitudes with specific mechanisms are involved. Simultaneous sea level pressure over pan-East Asia and spring sea surface temperature (SST) over the tropical Atlantic

No-precipitation reflectivity observations from Doppler radar contain valuable information on areas lacking precipitation; however, they are often ignored in four-dimensional variational (4DVar) radar data assimilation (DA). This study incorporated a neighborhood-based scheme to assimilate no-precipitation observations as a mechanism to suppress spurious convection. The impact of the scheme on convective

Aerosol complex refractive index (ACRI) is a key micro-physical parameter used for modeling their radiative effects. In this study, an approach is developed to estimate the ACRI using a combination of surface-based measurements (2008–2015) from the Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS), the integrating nephelometer, and the aethalometer over a tropical rural location in the southern peninsular India. Around

Dry spell studies are of vital importance for agricultural planning and water management. This study characterized dry spells in the state of Rio de Janeiro (SRJ) - southeastern Brazil - based on statistical tests, multivariate analysis and spatial distribution. Daily rainfall data from 1995 to 2017 were obtained from 86 rainfall stations located in the SRJ and neighbouring states. The data were submitted

Secondary atmospheric pollutants are an important component of the particles found in Urumqi city, China, Further, secondary inorganic aerosols, in particular, increase significantly during the winter heating period. In this study, samples collected from October 2017 to August 2018 from Urumqi were analyzed. Results showed that the average concentration of water-soluble inorganic ions (WSIs) in the

Background error covariance (BEC) plays a key role in variational data assimilation systems. The National Meteorological Center (NMC) method has been used widely to generate forecast error samples for BEC estimation. At present, most variational-based rapid update and cycling (RUC) data assimilation and forecasting systems use a fixed BEC without consideration of diurnal variation. In this study, diurnal

Natural lightning and the associated clouds are known to behave differently over land and ocean, but many questions remain. We expand the related observational datasets by obtaining simultaneous quasi-static electric field observations over coastal land, near-shore water, and deep ocean regions during both fair-weather and thunderstorm periods. Oceanic observations were obtained using two 3-m NOAA

As brown carbon (BrC) consists of a collection of light-absorbing organic compounds, there is unlikely an individual substance that can be used as a proxy of all BrC constituents. Hence, available methods for distinguishing BrC from black carbon (BC) are often flawed. Moreover, the use of household solid fuels for winter rural heating is a common practice in northern China that significantly contributes

The internal structure and microphysical properties of a rainband of Typhoon Kong-Rey (TY), which occurred in 2018, and of the rainfall system indirectly affected by the typhoon (IA) that passed through the southern part of the Korean Peninsula in October 2018, were analyzed by operational S-band weather radars and particle size and velocity (PARSIVEL) disdrometers. The height of maximum intensity

The present study designs a data assimilation framework for all-sky GMI radiances in the Weather Research Forecast (WRF) model for the prediction of tropical cyclone events over the Bay of Bengal (BOB) region. Experiments are performed using the RTTOV-SCATT radiative transfer model for three cyclone events (Hudhud (2014), Vardah (2016), and Kyant (2016)) for 19 V, 23 V, 37 V, 89 V, 166 V, 183±3, and

Regional raindrop size distribution (DSD) features are poorly understood due to the lack of observations. Here we investigate the regional variability of summertime DSD in Beijing, using the DSD observations from ten disdrometer sites from April to September 2017. The characteristics of DSD are analyzed for both convective and stratiform precipitation, mainly classified by rain rate (R). The shape

Radar data assimilation (DA) can improve short-term precipitation forecasts. However, assimilating radar observations into a numerical prediction model may produce spurious precipitation and large errors in the position and magnitude of precipitation, and high-frequency cyclic assimilation may exacerbate this problem. In this paper, a severe convection case that occurred on 27 June 2018 over eastern

Ammonia (NH3) is a precursor of atmospheric aerosols. The lack of real-time updated and high spatial resolution atmospheric NH3 point source information is one of the critical problems in the study of atmospheric pollution. Satellite-based NH3 observation data provide a new approach to NH3 point source detection. However current spatial resolution of NH3 concentration satellite data is still not sufficient

Major floods in Spain in September 9–13, 2019 resulted in seven casualties and massive losses to agriculture, property and infrastructure. This paper investigates the utility of satellite data to: (1) characterize the event when input into a hydrological model, and to provide an accurate picture of the evolution of the floods; and (2) inform meteorologists in real time in order to complement model