University of Tsukuba researchers apply pressure and atmospheric circulation modeling to identify that warm sea surface temperature conditions in the Indian Ocean were a major factor in the anomalously warm winter and extreme summer rainfall in East Asia in 2019-20
An unusually warm winter in 2019/20 in central China and Japan was followed by a summer that saw record-breaking rainfall in the region, triggering severe flooding and landslides. A research team from the University of Tsukuba has now examined the conditions giving rise to these extreme weather events, identifying warm sea surface temperature conditions in the Indian Ocean as a common factor in both events. This finding will be useful in the future prediction of extreme weather patterns in East Asia.
The Meiyu-Baiu rainband is the key driver of the major rainy season in central China and Japan, which generally occurs between June and July. Understanding the factors causing variations in the extent, duration and positioning of this rainband are crucial for the accurate prediction of summer rainfall over East Asia. In early summer 2020, the stagnation of the Meiyu-Baiu rainband caused catastrophic floods in some parts of central China and Japan.
The University of Tsukuba research team observed that the subtropical western Pacific anticyclone was substantially enhanced during this period and continued to supply the rainband with moisture, fueling the continued flooding.
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