Changes in Climate Factors and Extreme Climate Events in South China during 1961–2010

• Published in: Advances in climate change research 2013-03, Vol.4 (1), p.1-11
• Main Authors: Yao-Dong, D.U., Hui, A.I., Hai-Lai, D.U.A.N., Ya-Min, H.U., Xian-Wei, W.A.N.G., Jian, H.E., Hong-Yu, W.U., Xiao-Xuan, W.U.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: climate change; climate factors; extreme climate events; South China
• ISSN: 1674-9278; 1674-9278
• DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1248.2013.001

Daily climate data at 110 stations during 1961–2010 were selected to examine the changing characteristics of climate factors and extreme climate events in South China. The annual mean surface air temperature has increased significantly by 0.16°C per decade, most notably in the Pearl River Delta and in winter. The increase rate of the annual extreme minimum temperature (0.48°C per decade) is over twice that of the annual extreme maximum temperature (0.20°C per decade), and the increase of the mean temperature is mainly the result of the increase of the extreme minimum temperature. The increase rate of high-temperature days (1.1 d per decade) is close to the decrease rate of low-temperature days (–1.3 d per decade). The rainfall has not shown any significant trend, but the number of rainy days has decreased and the rain intensity has increased. The regional mean sunshine duration has a significant decreasing trend of –40.9 h per decade, and the number of hazy days has a significant increasing trend of 6.3 d per decade. The decrease of sunshine duration is mainly caused by the increase of total cloud, not by the increase of hazy days in South China. Both the regional mean pan evaporation and mean wind speed have significant decreasing trends of –65.9 mm per decade and –0.11 m s−1per decade, respectively. The decrease of both sunshine duration and mean wind speed plays an important role in the decrease of pan evaporation. The number of landing tropical cyclones has an insignificant decreasing trend of –0.6 per decade, but their intensities show a weak increasing trend. The formation location of tropical cyclones landing in South China has converged towards 10–19°N, and the landing position has shown a northward trend. The date of the first landfall tropical cyclone postpones 1.8 d per decade, and the date of the last landfall advances 3.6 d per decade, resulting in reduction of the typhoon season by 5.4 d per decade. Du, Y.-D., H. Ai, H.-L. Duan, et al., 2013: Changes in climate factors and extreme climate events in South China during 1961–2010. Adv. Clim. Change Res.,4(1), doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1248.2013.001. The Working Group (WG) Reports and Synthesis Report of the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) will be completed in 2013/2014. In order to address climate change, China Meteorological Administration (CMA) has launched climate change assessment reports since August 2008 for East China, South China, Central China, North China, Northeast China, Northwest China,