Arid Zone Research ›› 2025, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (11): 1966-1981.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2025.11.02

• Weather and Climate • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Spatiotemporal variations and atmospheric circulation characteristics of extreme precipitation in the northern region of Shanxi Province

CAI Xia1(), SONG Yan2(), SU Xin3, NIU Tao4, KANG Zhenhao5, WANG Qianjun1   

  1. 1. Meteorological Bureau of Shuozhou City, Shuozhou 036002, Shanxi, China
    2. China Meteorological Administration Training Centre, Beijing 100081, China
    3. China Meteorological Administration Huafeng Meteorological Media Group, Beijing 100081, China
    4. Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
    5. Meteorological Bureau of Xinzhou City, Xinzhou 034000, Shanxi, China
  • Received:2025-05-22 Revised:2025-07-07 Online:2025-11-15 Published:2025-12-13
  • Contact: SONG Yan E-mail:caixiaqx@sina.com;songyan@cma.gov.cn

Abstract:

Based on the daily precipitation data from 1972 to 2022 and the ERA5 high-resolution monthly reanalysis data, the empirical orthogonal function “decomposition” and synthetic analysis methods were applied to analyze the interannual and interdecadal variability characteristics of extreme precipitation in northern Shanxi Province. Among the 10 extreme precipitation indices in northern Shanxi Province, the spatial distribution characteristics were greater in the southwestern region than the northeastern region, while the duration of the wet period was greater in the central region than the eastern and western regions. After 2010, northern Shanxi Province experienced frequent extreme weather events with alternating droughts and floods. Extreme precipitation occurred during the summer over many years. Weather events in northern Shanxi Province are controlled by the bottom of an abnormal trough area in the Baikal Lake region, and water vapor is transported from the Western Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Japan, and the South China Sea. There is a divergence anomaly at 200 hPa in the upper troposphere and a significant upward movement anomaly in the vertical direction, resulting in an increased frequency and stronger intensity of extreme precipitation in summer. Extreme precipitation is expected to occur in northern Shanxi Province. Affected by the strong high-pressure ridge of Lake Baikal moving southeastward, dry cold air from the north moves southward, blocking the movement of water vapor. The dynamic conditions of the troposphere are not conducive to the generation of extreme precipitation. The decadal time scale revealed a spatial distribution characteristic of more extreme precipitation in the southwest region and less in the northeast region of northern Shanxi Province. During the period of extreme precipitation and heavy rainfall (2009-2016), the convergence of cold and warm air masses generated abnormal northerly airflows and local cyclone circulation in northern Shanxi Province. In the southwestern region, there were strong low-altitude convergence and significant upward movement anomalies, which were conducive to more frequent extreme precipitation. The characteristics of the period with less rainfall (1982-1990) were the opposite.

Key words: northern Shanxi Province, extreme precipitation, temporal and spatial changes, alternate drought and flooding, atmospheric circulation anomalies