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The complex precipitation microphysics associated with super typhoon Lekima (2019) and its potential impacts on the consistency of multi-source datasets and radar quantitative precipitation estimation were disentangled using a suite of in situ and remote sensing observations around the waterlogged area in the groove windward slope (GWS) of Yandang Mountain (YDM) and Kuocang Mountain, China. The main findings include the following: (i) the quality control processing for radar and disdrometers, which collect raindrop size distribution (DSD) data, effectively enhances the self-consistency between radar measurements, such as radar reflectivity (ZH), differential reflectivity (ZDR), and the specific differential phase (KDP), as well as the consistency between radar, disdrometers, and gauges. (ii) The microphysical processes, in which breakup overwhelms coalescence in the coalescence–breakup balance of precipitation particles, noticeably make radar measurements prone to be breakup-dominated in radar volume gates, which accounts for the phenomenon where the high number concentration rather than the large size of drops contributes more to a given attenuation-corrected ZH (ZHC) and the significant deviation of attenuation-corrected ZDR (ZDRC) from its expected values (Z^DR) estimated by DSD-simulated ZDR – ZH relationships. (iii) The twin-parameter radar rainfall estimates based on measured ZH (ZHM) and ZDR (ZDRM), and their corrected counterparts ZHC and ZDRC , i.e., R (ZHM , ZDRM) and R (ZHC , ZDRC), both tend to overestimate rainfall around the GWS of YDM, mainly ascribed to the unique microphysical process in which the breakup-dominated small-sized drops above transition to the coalescence-dominated large-sized drops falling near the surface. (iv) The improved performance of R (ZHC , Z^DR) is attributed to the utilization of Z^DR , which equals physically converting breakup-dominated measurements in radar volume gates to their coalescence-dominated counterparts, and this also benefits from the better self-consistency between ZHC , Z^DR , and KDP , as well as their consistency with the surface counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Partial beam blockage (PBB) correction is an indispensable step in weather radar data quality control and subsequent quantitative applications, such as precipitation estimation, especially in urban and/or complex terrain environments. This paper developed a novel PBB correction procedure based on the improved ZPHI method for attenuation correction and regional specific differential propagation phase (KDP)–reflectivity (ZH) relationship derived from in situ raindrop size distribution (DSD) measurements. The practical performance of this PBB correction technique was evaluated through comparing the spatial continuity of reflectivity measurements, the consistency between radar-measured and DSD-derived KDP and ZH relationships, as well as rainfall estimates based on R(ZH) and R(KDP). The results showed that through incorporating attenuation and PBB corrections (i) the spatial continuity of ZH measurements can effectively be enhanced; (ii) the distribution of radar-measured KDP versus ZH is more consistent with the DSD-derived KDP versus ZH; (iii) the measured ZH from a C-band radar in the PBB-affected area becomes more consistent with collocated S-band measurements, particularly in the rainstorm center area where ZH is larger than 30 dBZ; and (iv) rainfall estimates based on R(ZH) in the PBB-affected area are incrementally improved with better spatial continuity and the performance tends to be more comparable with R(KDP). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective utilization of the changing precipitation microphysics in real-time radar quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) is challenging, which requires dynamic adjustment of the radar reflectivity ($Z$) and rain rate ($R$) relations. This article develops and demonstrates two dynamic radar rainfall approaches using 16 Doppler weather radars and 4579 surface rain gauges deployed over the Eastern Jiang Huai River Basin (EJRB) in China. Both approaches are derived based on the radar-gauge feedback mechanism. Although the $Z$ – $R$ relations in both approaches are dynamically adjusted within a precipitation system, one is using a single global optimum (SGO) $Z$ – $R$ relation, while the other is using different $Z$ – $R$ relations for different storm cells identified by a storm cell identification and tracking (SCIT) algorithm. Four precipitation events featured by different rainfall characteristics are investigated to evaluate the performances of various QPE methodologies. In addition, the short-term vertical profile of reflectivity (VPR) clusters is extensively analyzed to resolve the storm-scale characteristics of different storm cells. The evaluation results based on independent gauge observations show that both rainfall approaches with dynamic $Z$ – $R$ relations perform much better than the fixed $Z$ – $R$ relations. The adaptive approach incorporating the SCIT algorithm and real-time gauge measurements has the best performance since it can better capture the spatial variability and evolution of precipitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An extremely heavy rainfall event hit Guangdong province, China, from 27 August to 1 September 2018. There were two different extreme rain regions, respectively, at the Pearl River estuary and eastern Guangdong, and a record-breaking daily precipitation of 1056.7 mm was observed at Gaotan station on 30 August. This paper utilizes a suite of observations from soundings, a gauge network, disdrometers, and polarimetric radars to gain insights to the two rainfall centers. The large-scale meteorological forcing, rainfall patterns, and microphysical processes, as well as radar-based precipitation signatures are investigated. It is concluded that a west-moving monsoon depression played a critical role in sustaining the moisture supply to the two extreme rain regions, and the combined orographic enhancement further contributed to the torrential rainfall over Gaotan station. The raindrop size distributions (DSD) observed at Zhuhai and Huidong stations, as well as the observed polarimetric radar signatures indicate that the rainfall at Doumen region was characterized by larger raindrops but a lower number concentration compared with that at Gaotan region. In addition, the dual-polarization radars are used to quantify precipitation intensity during this extreme event, providing timely information for flood warning and emergency management decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The millimeter-wave cloud radar, ceilometer, and disdrometer have been widely used to observe clouds and precipitation. However, there are some drawbacks when those three instruments are solely employed due to their own limitations, such as the fact that radars usually suffer from signal attenuation and ceilometers/disdrometers cannot provide measurements of the hydrometeors of aloft clouds and precipitation. Thus, in this paper, we developed an integrated technology by combining and utilizing the advantages of three instruments together to investigate the vertical structure and diurnal variation of warm clouds and precipitation, and the raindrop size distribution. Specifically, the technology consists of appropriate data processing, quality control, and retrieval methods. It was implemented to study the warm clouds and precipitation in South China during the pre-flood season of 2016. The results showed that the hydrometeors of warm clouds and precipitation were mainly distributed below 2.5 km and most of the rainfall events were very light with a rain rate less than 1 mm h−1, however, the stronger precipitation primarily contributed the accumulated rain amount. Furthermore, a rising trend of cloud base height from 1000 to 1900 BJT was found. The cloud top height and cloud thickness gradually increased from 1200 BJT to reach a maximum at 1600 BJT (Beijing Standard Time, UTC+8), and then decreased until 2000 BJT. Also, three periods of the apparent rainfall on the ground of the day, namely, 0400–0700 BJT, 1400–1800 BJT, and 2300–2400 BJT were observed. During three periods, the raindrops had wider size spectra, higher number concentrations, larger rain rates, and higher water contents than at other times. The hydrometeor type, size, and concentration were gradually changed in the vertical orientation. The raindrop size distributions of warm precipitation in the air and on the ground were different, which can be expressed by γ distributions N(D) = 1.49 × 104D−0.9484exp(−6.79D) in the air and N(D) = 1.875 × 103D0.862exp(−2.444D) on the ground, where D and N(D) denote the diameter and number concentration of the raindrops, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polarimetric radar provides more choices and advantages for quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) than single-polarization radar. Utilizing the C-band polarimetric radar in Hangzhou, China, six radar QPE estimators based on the horizontal reflectivity (ZH), specific attenuation (AH), specific differential phase (KDP), and double parameters that further integrate the differential reflectivity (ZDR), namely, R(ZH, ZDR), R(KDP, ZDR), and R(AH, ZDR), are investigated for an extreme precipitation event that occurred in Eastern China on 1 June 2016. These radar QPE estimators are respectively evaluated and compared with a local rain gauge network and drop size distribution data observed by two disdrometers. The results show that (i) although R(AH, ZDR) underestimates in the light rain scenario, it performs the best among all radar QPE estimators according to the normalized mean error; (ii) the optimal radar rainfall relationship and consistency between radar measurements aloft and their surface counterparts are both required to obtain accurate rainfall estimates close to the ground. The contamination from melting layer on AH and KDP can make R(AH), R(AH, ZDR), R(KDP), and R(KDP, ZDR) less effective than R(ZH) and R(ZH,ZDR). Instead, adjustments of the α coefficient can partly reduce such impact and hence render a superior AH–based rainfall estimator; (iii) each radar QPE estimator may outperform others during some time intervals featured by particular rainfall characteristics, but they all tend to underestimate rainfall if radar fails to capture the rapid development of rainstorms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]