Observational and Mechanistic Analysis of a Nighttime Warm-Sector Heavy Rainfall Event Within the Subtropical High over the Southeastern Coast of China

Abstract

: In August 2021, a warm-sector heavy rainfall event under the control of the western Pacific subtropical high occurred over the southeastern coast of China. Induced by a linearly shaped mesoscale convective system (MCS), this heavy rainfall event was characterized by localized heavy rainfall, high cumulative rainfall, and extreme rainfall intensity. Using various observational data, this study first analyzed the precipitation features and radar reflectivity evolution. It then examined the role of environmental conditions and the relationship between the ambient wind field and convective initiation (CI). Furthermore, the dynamic lifting mechanism within the organization of the MCS was revealed by employing multi-Doppler radar retrieval methods. Results demonstrated that the linearly shaped MCS, developed under the influence of the subtropical high, was the primary cause of the extreme rainfall event. High temperatures and humidity, coupled with the convergence of low-level southerly winds, established the environmental conditions for MCS development. The superposition of the convergence zone generated by the southerly winds in the boundary layer (925–1000 hPa) and the divergence zone in the lower layer (700–925 hPa) supplied dynamic lifting conditions for CI. Additionally, a long-term shear line (southerly southwesterly) offered favorable conditions for the organization of the linearly shaped MCS. The combined effects of strengthening low-level southerly winds and secondary circulation in mid-upper levels were influential factors in the development and maintenance of the linearly shaped MCS.