Changes in Hourly Extreme Precipitation Over Eastern China From 1970 to 2019 Dominated by Synoptic-Scale Precipitation

Abstract

Because of its dense population, extreme precipitation, in particular hourly extreme precipitation (HEP), is receiving increasing attention from both academic and public bodies in eastern China. Based on a continuous 50-year record of hourly precipitation and reanalysis data, we show here for the first time that changes in the HEP occurrence are dominated by changes in the duration of the Meiyu front system. Further analyses reveal that greater occurrence of HEP in northeastern China, the lower reach of Yangtze River, and southern China during the warm season is largely due to a longer duration of the post-Meiyu I stage when Meiyu front stays in northern China and meridional circulation dominates the eastern coastal area of China. These results improve our understanding of the changing behavior of extreme rainfall in China and shed light on the prevention of flash floods.