Microphysical Characteristics of Extreme-Rainfall Convection over the Pearl River Delta Region, South China from Polarimetric Radar Data during the Pre-summer Rainy Season

• Published in: Advances in atmospheric sciences 2023-05, Vol.40 (5), p.874-886
• Main Authors: Huang, Hao, Zhao, Kun, Chan, Johnny C. L., Hu, Dongming
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 14th International Conference on Mesoscale Convective Systems and High-Impact Weather; Altitude; Atmospheric Sciences; Centroids; Coalescence; Convection; Convective available potential energy; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Echoes; Extreme weather; Freezing; Freezing level; Geophysics/Geodesy; Heavy rainfall; Lightning; Lightning flashes; Liquid water content; Meteorology; Moisture content; Original Paper; Polarimetric radar; Polarimetry; Potential energy; Precipitation; Radar; Radar data; Raindrops; Rainfall; Rainfall rate; Rainy season; Reflectance; Summer; Water; Water content; Wet season; Wind shear
• ISSN: 0256-1530; 1861-9533
• DOI: 10.1007/s00376-022-1319-8

During the pre-summer rainy season, heavy rainfall occurs frequently in South China. Based on polarimetric radar observations, the microphysical characteristics and processes of convective features associated with extreme rainfall rates (ERCFs) are examined. In the regions with high ERCF occurrence frequency, sub-regional differences are found in the lightning flash rate (LFR) distributions. In the region with higher LFRs, the ERCFs have larger volumes of high reflectivity factor above the freezing level, corresponding to more active riming processes. In addition, these ERCFs are more organized and display larger spatial coverage, which may be related to the stronger low-level wind shear and higher terrain in the region. In the region with lower LFRs, the ERCFs have lower echo tops and lower-echo centroids. However, no clear differences of the most unstable convective available potential energy (MUCAPE) exist in the ERCFs in the regions with different LFR characteristics. Regardless of the LFRs, raindrop collisional coalescence is the main process for the growth of raindrops in the ERCFs. In the ERCFs within the region with lower LFRs, the main mechanism for the rapid increase of liquid water content with decreasing altitude below 4 km is through the warm-rain processes converting cloud drops to raindrops. However, in those with higher LFRs, the liquid water content generally decreases with decreasing altitude.