Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Understanding the role of SST anomaly in extreme rainfall of 2020 Meiyu season from an interdecadal perspective

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Science China Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Extreme Meiyu rainfall in 2020, starting from early June to the end of July, has occurred over the Yangtze River valley (YRV), with record-breaking accumulated precipitation amount since 1961. The present study aims to examine the possible effect of sea surface temperature (SST) on the YRV rainfall in Meiyu season from the interdecadal perspective. The results indicate that YRV rainfall in June exhibits more significant variability on interdecadal time scale than that in July. The interdecadal-filtered atmospheric circulation in June, compared with the counterpart in July, shows a more predominant and better-organized Western North Pacific Anticyclone (WNPAC) anomaly, which could transport abundant moisture to the YRV by anomalous southwesterly prevailing in northwestern flank of anomalous WNPAC. Both observation and numerical experiment indicate that the interdecadal change of the SST anomaly in tropical western Indian Ocean (TWI) from preceding May to June can significantly affect the anomalous WNPAC, leading to enhanced YRV rainfall in June. The TWI SST anomaly shifts from a cold phase to a warm phase around the early 2000s, with a magnitude of 0.7°C in 2020, which implies that such interdecadal warming might partly contribute to the heavy rainfall in June 2020 by providing a large-scale favorable background flow.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Chang C P, Zhang Y, Li T. 2000. Interannual and interdecadal variations of the East Asian summer monsoon and tropical Pacific SSTs. Part I: Roles of the subtropical ridge. J Clim, 13: 4310–4325

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen J, Wang X, Zhou W, Wang C, Xie Q, Li G, Chen S. 2018. Unusual rainfall in Southern China in decaying august during extreme El Niño 2015/16: Role of the Western Indian Ocean and north tropical Atlantic SST. J Clim, 31: 7019–7034

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen W, Feng J, Wu R. 2013. Roles of ENSO and PDO in the link of the East Asian winter monsoon to the following summer monsoon. J Clim, 26: 622–635

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen W, Wang L, Feng J, Wen Z, Ma T, Yang X, Wang C. 2019. Recent progress in studies of the variabilities and mechanisms of the East Asian monsoon in a changing climate. Adv Atmos Sci, 36: 887–901

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chowdary J S, Hu K, Srinivas G, Kosaka Y, Wang L, Rao K K. 2019. The Eurasian jet streams as conduits for East Asian monsoon variability. Curr Clim Change Rep, 5: 233–244

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ding R, Ha K J, Li J. 2010. Interdecadal shift in the relationship between the East Asian summer monsoon and the tropical Indian Ocean. Clim Dyn, 34: 1059–1071

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ding Y, Liang P, Liu Y, Zhang Y. 2020. Multiscale variability of Meiyu and its prediction: A new Review. J Geophys Res Atmos, 125: e31496

    Google Scholar 

  • Feng J, Wang L, Chen W. 2014. How does the East Asian Summer Monsoon behave in the decaying phase of El Niño during different PDO phases? J Clim, 27: 2682–2698

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fu C, Teng X. 1988. Climate anomalies in China associated with El Niño/Southern Oscillation (in Chinese). Chin J Atmos Sci, 12: 133–141

    Google Scholar 

  • Ge Q S, Guo X F, Zheng J Y, Hao Z X. 2008. Meiyu in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River since 1736. Chin Sci Bull, 53: 107–114

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ha Y, Zhong Z, Chen H, Hu Y. 2016. Out-of-phase decadal changes in boreal summer rainfall between Yellow-Huaihe River Valley and southern China around 2002/2003. Clim Dyn, 47: 137–158

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang B, Thorne P W, Banzon V F, Boyer T, Chepurin G, Lawrimore J H, Menne M J, Smith T M, Vose R S, Zhang H M. 2017. Extended reconstructed sea surface temperature, Version 5 (ERSSTv5): Upgrades, validations, and intercomparisons. J Clim, 30: 8179–8205

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang R, Chen J, Wang L, Lin Z. 2012. Characteristics, processes, and causes of the spatio-temporal variabilities of the East Asian monsoon system. Adv Atmos Sci, 29: 910–942

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kanamitsu M, Ebisuzaki W, Woollen J, Yang S K, Hnilo J J, Fiorino M, Potter G L. 2002. NCEP-DOE AMIP-II reanalysis (R-2). Bull Amer Meteor Soc, 83: 1631–1644

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lau K M, Lee J Y, Kim K M, Kang I S. 2004. The North Pacific as a regulator of summertime climate over Eurasia and North America. J Clim, 17: 819–833

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li J, Zheng F, Sun C, Feng J, Wang J. 2019. Pathways of influence of the northern hemisphere mid-high latitudes on East Asian climate: A review. Adv Atmos Sci, 36: 902–921

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li T, Wang B, Wu B, Zhou T, Chang C P, Zhang R. 2017. Theories on formation of an anomalous anticyclone in western North Pacific during El Niño: A Review. J Meteorol Res, 31: 987–1006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liang P, Chen L, Ding Y, He J, Zhou B. 2018. Relationship between long-term variability of Meiyu 560 over the Yangtze River and ocean and Meiyu’s predictability study (in Chinses). Acta Meteorol Sin, 76: 379–393

    Google Scholar 

  • Liang P, Ding Y. 2012. Climatologic characteristics of the intraseasonal oscillation of East Asian meiyu (in Chinses). Acta Meteorol Sin, 70: 418–435

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu B, Yan Y, Zhu C, Ma S, Li J. 2020. Record-breaking Meiyu rainfall around Yangtze River in 2020 regulated by the subseasonal phase transition of North Atlantic Oscillation. Geophys Res Lett, 47: e90342

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu Y, Chiang J C H. 2012. Coordinated abrupt weakening of the Eurasian and North African monsoons in the 1960s and links to extratropical North Atlantic cooling. J Clim, 25: 3532–3548

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mantua N J, Hare S R. 2002. The Pacific decadal oscillation. J Oceanogr, 58: 35–44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mantua N J, Hare S R, Zhang Y, Wallace J M, Francis R C. 1997. A Pacific interdecadal climate oscillation with impacts on salmon production. Bull Amer Meteor Soc, 78: 1069–1079

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neale R B, Gettelman A, Lauritzen P H, Park S, Williamson D, Conley A, Garcia R, Kinnison D, Lamarque J F, Marsh D, Mills M, Smith A, Tilmes S, Vitt F, Morrison H, Cameron-Smith P, Collins W, Iacono M J, Easter R, Ghan S, Liu X, Rasch P, Taylor M. 2012. Description of the NCAR Community Atmosphere Model (CAM 5.0). NCAR Tech Note NCAR/TN-486+STR, 289

  • Pan Y, Shen Y, Yu J, Xiong A. 2015. An experiment of high-resolution gauge-radar-satellite combined precipitation retrieval based on the Bayesian merging method (in Chinses). Acta Meteorol Sin, 73:177–186

    Google Scholar 

  • Saji N H, Goswami B N, Vinayachandran P N, Yamagata T. 1999. A dipole mode in the tropical Indian Ocean. Nature, 401: 360–363

    Google Scholar 

  • Schlesinger M E, Ramankutty N. 1994. An oscillation in the global climate system of period 65–70 years. Nature, 367: 723–726

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Si D, Ding Y. 2016. Oceanic forcings of the interdecadal variability in east Asian summer rainfall. J Clim, 29: 7633–7649

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Si D, Ding Y H, Liu Y J. 2009. Decadal northward shift of the Meiyu belt and the possible cause. Sci Bull, 54: 4742–4748

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun B, Wang H, Zhou B, Li H. 2019. Interdecadal variation in the synoptic features of Mei-Yu in the Yangtze river valley region and relationship with the pacific decadal oscillation. J Clim, 32: 6251–6270

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang B, Lin H. 2002. Rainy season of the Asian-Pacific summer monsoon. J Clim, 15: 386–398

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang B, Wu R, Fu X. 2000. Pacific-East Asian teleconnection: How does ENSO affect East Asian climate? J Clim, 13: 1517–1536

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang B, Wu R, Lau K M. 2001. Interannual variability of the asian summer monsoon: Contrasts between the Indian and the Western North Pacific-East Asian monsoons. J Clim, 14: 4073–4090

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watanabe M, Jin F. 2002. Role of Indian Ocean warming in the development of Philippine Sea anticyclone during ENSO. Geophys Res Lett, 29: 116–1–116–4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wei F, Xie X. 2005. Interannual and interdecadal oscillations of Meiyu over the middle lower reaches of the Chang-Jiang River for 1885–2000 (in Chinese). J Applied Meteorol Sci, 16: 492–499

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu B, Li T, Zhou T. 2010. Relative contributions of the Indian Ocean and local SST anomalies to the maintenance of the western North pacific anomalous anticyclone during the El Niño decaying summer. J Clim, 23: 2974–2986

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu B, Zhou T, Li T. 2009. Seasonally evolving dominant interannual variability modes of East Asian climate. J Clim, 22: 2992–3005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xie M, Wang C. 2020. Decadal variability of the anticyclone in the Western North Pacific. J Clim, 33: 9031–9043

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xie P, Yatagai A, Chen M, Hayasaka T, Fukushima Y, Liu C, Yang S. 2007. A gauge-based analysis of daily precipitation over East Asia. J Hydrometeorol, 8: 607–626

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xie S P, Hu K, Hafner J, Tokinaga H, Du Y, Huang G, Sampe T. 2009. Indian Ocean capacitor effect on Indo-Western Pacific climate during the summer following El Niño. J Clim, 22: 730–747

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xie X, Wang H, Liu X, Li J, Wang Z, Liu Y. 2016. Distinct effects of anthropogenic aerosols on the East Asian summer monsoon between multidecadal strong and weak monsoon stages. J Geophys Res Atmos, 121: 7026–7040

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu P, Wang L, Chen W, Feng J, Liu Y. 2019. Structural changes in the Pacific-Japan pattern in the late 1990s. J Clim, 32: 607–621

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang J, Qian Y. 2009. Temporal evolution of 121a Meiyu series. Sci Meteorol Sin, 29: 285–290

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Y, Wallace J M, Battisti D S. 1997. ENSO-like interdecadal variability: 1900–93. J Clim, 10: 1004–1020

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang H, Wen Z, Wu R, Chen Z, Guo Y. 2017. Inter-decadal changes in the East Asian summer monsoon and associations with sea surface temperature anomaly in the South Indian Ocean. Clim Dyn, 48: 1125–1139

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang R, Sumi A, Kimoto M. 1996. Impact of El Nino on the East Asian Monsoon: A diagnostic study of the’ 86/87 and’ 91/92 events. J Meteorol Soc Jpn, 74: 49–62

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu Y, Wang H, Ma J, Wang T, Sun J. 2015. Contribution of the phase transition of Pacific Decadal Oscillation to the late 1990s’ shift in East China summer rainfall. J Geophys Res Atmos, 120: 8817–8827

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu Z, Li T, He J. 2014. Out-of-Phase relationship between boreal spring and summer decadal rainfall changes in southern China. J Clim, 27: 1083–1099

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the constructive suggestions from two anonymous reviewers, which help greatly to improve the manuscript. This research was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (Grant No. 2016YFA0600601) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41905072, 41530530 & 41875087).

Author information

Author notes

  1. Contributed equally to this work

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences & Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China

    Yuanyuan Guo, Ruijie Zhang, Zhiping Wen, Juncong Li & Chao Zhang

  2. Innovation Center of Ocean and Atmosphere System, Zhuhai Fudan Innovation Research Institute, Zhuhai, 518057, China

    Zhiping Wen

  3. Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Climate Change, Nanjing, 210023, China

    Zhiping Wen

  4. National Meteorological Information Center, Beijing, 100081, China

    Zijiang Zhou

Authors
  1. Yuanyuan Guo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ruijie Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Zhiping Wen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Juncong Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Chao Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Zijiang Zhou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zhiping Wen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Guo, Y., Zhang, R., Wen, Z. et al. Understanding the role of SST anomaly in extreme rainfall of 2020 Meiyu season from an interdecadal perspective. Sci. China Earth Sci. 64, 1619–1632 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-020-9762-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-020-9762-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation