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This paper describes the access to, and the content, characteristics, and potential applications of the tropical cyclone (TC) database that is maintained and actively developed by the China Meteorological Administration, with the aim of facilitating its use in scientific research and operational services. This database records data relating to all TCs that have passed through the western North Pacific (WNP) and South China Sea (SCS) since 1949. TC data collection has expanded over recent decades via continuous TC monitoring using remote sensing and specialized field detection techniques, allowing collation of a multi-source TC database for the WNP and SCS that covers a long period, with wide coverage and many observational elements. This database now comprises a wide variety of information related to TCs, such as historical or real-time locations (i.e., best track and landfall), intensity, dynamic and thermal structures, wind strengths, precipitation amounts, and frequency. This database will support ongoing research into the processes and patterns associated with TC climatic activity and TC forecasting.

The spring persistent rains (SPR) over southeastern China (SEC) are a unique synoptic and climatic phenomenon in East Asia. A former study has found that the southwesterly flow which lies on the southeastern flank of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) is one of the deflected westerly flows of the TP, and it is suggested to be the direct climatic cause of SPR. This study found that the southwesterly flow is also highly correlated with the sensible heating of the southeastern TP in interannual variability, in addition to having a high correlation in seasonal variability. These facts suggest that the thermal forcing of the TP is another important climatic cause of SPR. Numerical sensitivity experiments further prove that the mechanical and thermal forcings of the TP are the climatic causes of the formation of the SPR. On the other hand, the Nanling Mountains and Wuyi Mountains (NWM) over southeastern China not only increase the SPR precipitation amount evidently, but also make the SPR rain belt move to the south by blocking the strong southwesterly flow.