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To evaluate the hygroscopic cloud seeding in reality, this study develops a hybrid microphysics scheme on WRF model, WDM6–NCU, which involves 43 bins of seeded cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) in the WDM6 bulk method scheme. This scheme can describe the size distribution of seeded CCNs and explain the process of the CCN imbedding, cloud and raindrop formation in detail. Furthermore, based on the observational CCN size distribution applied in the modelling, a series of tests on cloud seeding was conducted during the seeding periods of 21–22 October, 2020 with stratocumulus clouds. The model simulation results reveal that seeding at in-cloud regions with an appropriate CCN size distribution can yield greater rainfall and that spreading the seeding agents over an area of 40–60 km2 is the most efficient strategy to create a sufficient precipitation rate. With regard to the microphysical processes, the main process that causes the enhancement of precipitation is the strengthening of the accretion process of raindrops. In addition, hygroscopic particles larger than 0.4 μm primarily contribute to cloud-seeding effects. The study results could be used as references for model development and warm cloud seeding operations.

This study investigated the effect of the assimilation of the S- and Ka-band dual‐wavelength-retrieved water vapor data with radial wind and reflectivity data. The vertical profile of humidity, which provides environmental information before precipitation occurs, was obtained at low levels and thinned into averaged and four-quadrant profiles. Additionally, the following two strategies were examined: 1) assimilation of water vapor data with radar data for the entire 2 h and 2) assimilation of water vapor data in the first hour, and radial velocity and reflectivity data in the second hour. By using the WRF local ensemble transform Kalman filter data assimilation system, three real cases of the Dynamics of the Madden–Julian Oscillation experiment were examined through a series of experiments. The analysis results revealed that assimilating additional water vapor data more markedly improved the analysis at the convective scale than assimilating radial wind and reflectivity data alone. In addition, the strategy of assimilating only retrieved water vapor data in the first hour and radial wind and reflectivity data in the second hour achieved the optimal analysis and subsequent very short-term forecast. The evaluation of quantitative precipitation forecasting demonstrated that assimilating additional retrieved water vapor data distinctly improved the rain forecast compared with assimilating radar data only. When moisture data were assimilated, improved nowcasting could be extended up to 4 h. Furthermore, assimilating moisture profiles into four quadrants achieved more accurate analysis and forecast. Overall, our study demonstrated that the humidify information in nonprecipitation areas is critical for further improving the analysis and forecast of convective weather systems.

During the early summer rainy season over Taiwan, three types of low-level jets are observed, including a synoptic low-level jet (SLLJ) situated in the 850–700 hPa layer in the frontal zone, a marine boundary layer jet (MBLJ) embedded within the southwesterly monsoon flow over the northern South China Sea at approximately the 925 hPa level, and an orographically induced jet at approximately the 1 km level off the northwestern Taiwan coast (e.g., barrier jet (BJ)). The characteristics and physical processes of the formation of these three types of low-level jets are reviewed, and their roles in the development of heavy rainfall are discussed.

From 0200 to 1000 LST 2 June 2017, the shallow, east–west-oriented mei-yu front (600 mm) occurs over the northern side of the Yang-Ming Mountains. From 1100 to 1200 LST, with the gradual deepening of the postfrontal cold air, the front finally passes over the Yang-Ming Mountains and arrives at the Taipei basin, which results in an east–west-oriented rainband with the rainfall maxima over the northwestern coast and Taipei basin. From 1300 to 1400 LST, the frontal rainband continues to move southward with rainfall over the northwestern slopes of the Snow Mountains. In the prefrontal southwesterly flow, the orographic lifting of the moisture-laden low-level winds results in heavy rainfall on the southwestern slopes of the Snow Mountains and the Central Mountain Range. With the terrain of the Yang-Ming Mountains removed in the high-resolution model, the mei-yu front moves quickly southward without a rainfall maximum over the northern tip of Taiwan.

A mesoscale convective system that occurred in southwestern Taiwan on 15 June 2008 is simulated using convection-allowing ensemble forecasts to investigate the forecast uncertainty associated with four microphysics schemes—the Goddard Cumulus Ensemble (GCE), Morrison (MOR), WRF single-moment 6-class (WSM6), and WRF double-moment 6-class (WDM6) schemes. First, the essential features of the convective structure, hydrometeor distribution, and microphysical tendencies for the different microphysics schemes are presented through deterministic forecasts. Second, ensemble forecasts with the same initial conditions are employed to estimate the forecast uncertainty produced by the different ensembles with the fixed microphysics scheme. GCE has the largest spread in most state variables due to its most efficient phase conversion between water species. By contrast, MOR results in the least spread. WSM6 and WDM6 have similar vertical spread structures due to their similar ice-phase formulas. However, WDM6 produces more ensemble spread than WSM6 does below the melting layer, resulting from its double-moment treatment of warm rain processes. The model simulations with the four microphysics schemes demonstrate upscale error growth through spectrum analysis of the root-mean difference total energy (RMDTE). The RMDTE results reveal that the GCE and WDM6 schemes are more sensitive to initial condition uncertainty, whereas the MOR and WSM6 schemes are relatively less sensitive to that for this event. Overall, the diabatic heating–cooling processes connect the convective-scale cloud microphysical processes to the large-scale dynamical and thermodynamical fields, and they significantly affect the forecast error signatures in the multiscale weather system.

Tracks of tropical cyclones (TCs) forming in the South China Sea (SCS) are examined in terms of their seasonal variability and associated modulations by seasonal and intraseasonal circulations. Three major TC tracks appear in the SCS: northeastward (NE) toward the Philippines and Taiwan, northward (N) toward southern China, and westward-northwestward (W-NW) toward the Indochina Peninsula and southwestern China. Seasonally, the dominant tracks are NE in May, from NE into W-NW in June, W-NW and N in July to September (JAS), and W-NW in October to November (ON). Formation of TCs with W-NW tracks is associated with a southeastward-extending monsoon trough (MT) and a northwestward-expanding western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) in May to June (MJ), a southward-intensified MT and a westward-strengthened WPSH in JAS, and a northward and westward enhanced equatorial trough in ON. Formation of TCs with NE tracks in MJ is related to an eastward-intensified MT and an eastward-retreated WPSH. For TCs with N tracks, their formation is associated with an eastward and northward intensification of the MT and a northwestward extension of the WPSH. In terms of modulations of intraseasonal oscillations (ISOs), the 10-24-day and 30-60-day ISOs exert different effects on TC movement. For all track types, TCs tend to follow the propagation of the 10-24-day cyclonic anomaly and move along different tracks. The above movement comes under the influence of favorable environments in terms of moisture convergence provided by 30-60-day cyclonic anomalies distributing along TC tracks. The 10-24-day and 30-60-day ISOs exhibit comparable intensity to jointly modulate TC activity in the SCS.

An operational weather forecast model, coupled to an oceanic model, was used to predict the initiation and propagation of two major Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) events during the dynamics of the MJO (DYNAMO) campaign period. Two convective parameterization schemes were used to understand the sensitivity of the forecast to the model cumulus scheme. The first is the Tiedtke (TDK) scheme, and the second is the Simplified Arakawa-Schubert (SAS) scheme. The TDK scheme was able to forecast the MJO-1 and MJO-2 initiation at 15- and 45-day lead, respectively, while the SAS scheme failed to predict the convection onset in the western equatorial Indian Ocean (WEIO). The diagnosis of the forecast results indicates that the successful prediction with the TDK scheme is attributed to the model capability to reproduce the observed intraseasonal outgoing longwave radiation-sea surface temperature (OLR-SST) relationship. On one hand, the SST anomaly (SSTA) over the WEIO was induced by surface heat flux anomalies associated with the preceding suppressed-phase MJO. The change of SSTA, in turn, caused boundary layer convergence and ascending motion, which further induced a positive column-integrated moist static energy (MSE) tendency, setting up a convectively unstable stratification for MJO initiation. The forecast with the SAS scheme failed to reproduce the observed OLR-SST-MSE relation. The propagation characteristics differed markedly between the two forecasts. Pronounced eastward phase propagation in the TDK scheme is attributed to a positive zonal gradient of the MSE tendency relative to the MJO center, similar to the observed, whereas a reversed gradient appeared in the forecast with the SAS scheme with dominant westward propagation. The difference is primarily attributed to anomalous vertical and horizontal MSE advection.

Rainfall erosivity (or water erosion) has severe implications on agriculture, water, and land use management. Though, there were Rainfall erosivity studies on regional and global scale, tropical cyclones’ Rainfall erosivity is poorly assessed and have not been documented for one of the most cyclones affecting regions of the world like Taiwan. Here, using 15-years of raindrop size distributions (RSD) and 60-years of hourly rain gauges data, we estimated cyclones (also called typhoons) rainfall erosivity over Taiwan, and establish that typhoons’ mean rainfall erosivity is higher than the global mean rainfall erosivity. Moreover, regional variability of typhoons rainfall erosivity showed an increasing pattern from north to south (Taipei to Pingtung), with relatively higher values over eastern and southern parts of Taiwan. The annual mean erosivity of typhoons rainfall showed raising trends over eastern and southern Taiwan during 1958–2017. Our results provide an insight in assessing the land use and agricultural management for Taiwan.

The marine boundary layer jets (MBLJs) over the northern South China Sea during the early summer rainy season over Taiwan are analyzed using 5-yr (2008–12) National Centers for Environmental Prediction Climate Forecast System Reanalysis data with a 6-h interval. The MBLJ is distinctly different from the low-level jets associated with the subsynoptic frontal systems. During this period, the MBLJ events over the northern South China Sea mainly occur during the second half of the monsoon rainy season over Taiwan (after 1 June) and have a wind speed maximum around the 925-hPa level. The MBLJs are mainly related to the subsynoptic-scale pressure gradients related to a relatively deep mei-yu trough over southeastern China and a stronger-than-normal west Pacific subtropical high. Within the MBL, there is a three-way balance among pressure gradients, Coriolis force, and surface friction, with cross-isobar ageostrophic winds pointing toward the mei-yu trough throughout the diurnal cycle. At the jet core, the vertical wind profile resembles an Ekman spiral with supergeostrophic winds >12 m s−1 near the top of the MBL. The MBLJs are strongest at night and close to geostrophic flow in the late afternoon/early evening. This is because the friction velocity and ageostrophic wind decrease during daytime in response to mixing in the lowest levels. The MBLJs play an important role in horizontal moisture transport from the northern South China Sea to the Taiwan area. In the frontal zone, the moisture tongue extends vertically upward. The rainfall production is related to vertical motions in the frontal zone or localized lifting due to orographic effects.

The microphysical features of the typhoon (TY) and non-typhoon (NTY) rainfall in summer seasons are analyzed using long-term (2004 to 2016) data from the impact disdrometer installed in north Taiwan. The RSD stratified based on rainfall rate showed distinct RSD characteristics between TY and NTY rainfall. More (less) number of small (big) size raindrops are noticed in TY rainfall than NTY rainfall. RSD features in terms of gamma parameters are studied for these two weather regimes. The mass-weighted mean diameter (Dm) values are higher in NTY than TY rainfall, and an inverse behavior is observed for the normalized intercept parameter (Nw). Even after separating the rainfall regimes into convective and stratiform type, a large Dm is found in NTY compared to TY precipitation. Distinct variations in Z–R, Dm–R, Nw–R, KE–R, and KE–Dm relations are noticed between TY and NTY rainfall. Possible mechanisms responsible for the RSD variations between TY and NTY are discussed using reanalysis, remote-sensing, and ground-based radar datasets.

Four types (2D-video disdrometer: 2DVD; precipitation occurrence sensor system: POSS; micro-rain radar: MRR; and Joss–Waldvogel disdrometer: JWD) of sixteen instruments were collocated within a square area of 400 m2 from 16 April to 8 May 2008 for intercomparison of drop size distribution (DSD) of rain. This unique dataset was used to study the inherent measurement uncertainty due to the diversity of the measuring principles and sampling sizes of the four types of instruments. The DSD intercomparison shows generally good agreement among them, except that the POSS and MRR had higher concentrations of small raindrops (5.2 mm). The measurement uncertainty ( σ ) was obtained quantitatively after considering the zero or non-zero measurement error covariance between two instruments of the same type. The results indicate the measurement uncertainties were found to be neither independent nor identical among the same type of instruments. The MRR is relatively accurate (lower σ ) due to large sampling volumes and accurate measurement of the Doppler power spectrum. The JWD is the least accurate due to the small sampling volumes. The σ decreases rapidly with increasing time-averaging window. The 2DVD shows the best accuracy of R in longer averaging time, but this is not true for Z due to the small sampling volume. The MRR outperformed other instruments for Z for entire averaging time due to its measuring principle.

During 11–12 June 2012, heavy precipitation occurred over the northwestern Taiwan coast (~435 mm) and within the Taipei basin (~477 mm). With the presence of a midlatitude omega-blocking pattern, a persistent cold northerly wind component west of the northeast China low and west of the mei-yu frontal cyclone extends all the way to the subtropics and up to the 700-hPa level. At 2000 LST 11 June, the total precipitable water ahead of the front is elevated (>70 kg m−2) with horizontal southwesterly moisture fluxes >360 g kg−1 m s−1 at the 950-hPa level. The rainfall maximum along the northwestern coast mainly occurs before 0200 LST 12 June, as the convective activities in the frontal zone are enhanced by the localized convergence between the prefrontal southerly barrier jet and environmental airflow. After landfall, the relatively deep (~1.5 km) mei-yu front moves over the mountains (with peaks ~1121 m) along the northern coast and into the Taipei basin. During 0200–0800 LST 12 June, it stalls at the foothills of the Snow Mountains (with peaks ~3886 m) south of the basin under the postfrontal west-northwesterly flow. Rain cells associated with the mei-yu front are enhanced as they move southeastward toward the Snow Mountains. The barrier jet and the rainfall maxima over the northwestern coast and within the Taipei basin are well simulated using the high-resolution WRF Model. With the model terrain removed, the simulated mei-yu front continues to move southward after landfall without reproducing the barrier jet and both observed rainfall maxima.

The current study summarizes the raindrop size distributions (RSDs) characteristic of the North Indian Ocean (NIO) tropical cyclones (TCs) measured with ground-based disdrometers installed at the coastal (Thiruvananthapuram, 8.5335°N, 76.9047°E) and inland (Kadapa, 14.4742°N, 78.7098°E) stations in south India. The NIO TCs observed at the coastal station showed more mid- and large-size drops (>1 mm) than the inland station. On the other hand, for both inland and coastal stations, small and mid-size drops (

Raindrop size distribution (RSD) characteristics in before landfall (BLF) and after landfall (ALF) of three tropical cyclones (JAL, THANE, and NILAM) induced precipitations are investigated by using a laser-based (PARticleSIze and VELocity - PARSIVEL) disdrometer at two different locations [Kadapa (14.47°N, 78.82°E) and Gadanki (13.5°N, 79.2°E)] in semi-arid region of southern India. In both BLF and ALF precipitations of these three cyclones, convective precipitations have higher mass weighted mean diameter (Dm) and lower normalized intercept parameter (log10Nw) values than stratiform precipitations. The radar reflectivity (Z) and rain rate (R) relations (Z=A*Rb) showed distinct variations in BLF and ALF precipitations of three cyclones. BLF precipitation of JAL cyclone has a higher Dm than ALF precipitation. Whereas, for THANE and NILAM cyclones ALF precipitations have higher Dm than BLF. The Dm values of three cyclones (both in BLF and ALF) are smaller than the Dm values of the other (Atlantic and Pacific) oceanic cyclones. Interaction of different regions (eyewall, inner rainbands, and outer rainbands) of cyclones with the environment and underlying surface led to RSD variations between BLF and ALF precipitations through different microphysical (collision-coalescence, breakup, evaporation, and riming) processes. The immediate significance of the present work is that (i) it contributes to our understanding of cyclone RSD in BLF and ALF precipitations, and (ii) it provides the useful information for quantitative estimation of rainfall from Doppler weather radar observations.

A cycling run, which began 36 h before the model forecast, was employed to assimilate special Terrain-influenced Monsoon Rainfall Experiment (TiMREX) soundings, Global Telecommunications System (GTS) data, and Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC) global positioning system (GPS) radio occultation (RO) refractivity profiles to improve the model initial conditions provided by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Global Forecast System (GFS) to study a coastal, heavy rainfall event over southwestern Taiwan during 15–16 June 2008. The 36-h cycling run with data assimilation (DA_ALL_DATA run) has a positive impact on the depiction of subsynoptic flow in the model initial conditions at 1200 UTC 15 June, including the warm moist tongue and southwesterly monsoon flow over the open ocean. Furthermore, the cold pool caused by the evaporative cooling of antecedent rains and orographic blocking over southwestern Taiwan are better resolved in the nested high-resolution domain in the DA_ALL_DATA run as compared to the initial conditions provided by the NCEP GFS. As a result, the heavy rainfall along the southwestern coast and afternoon localized heavy rainfall over northern Taiwan are better predicted in the DA_ALL_DATA run. Model sensitivity tests are also performed to diagnose the effects of terrain and rain-evaporative cooling on the intensity and depth of the cold pool and degree of orographic blocking on the southwesterly flow over southwestern Taiwan. It is apparent that including rain-evaporative cooling from antecedent rains and orographic effects in the model initial conditions are important to account for the predicted rainfall distribution of this coastal rainfall event.

The accuracy of rain-rate estimation using polarimetric radar measurements has been improved as a result of better characterization of radar measurement quality and rain microphysics. In the literature, a variety of power-law relations between polarimetric radar measurements and rain rate are described because of the dynamic or varying nature of rain microphysics. A variational technique that concurrently takes into account radar observational error and dynamically varying rain microphysics is proposed in this study. Rain-rate estimation using the variational algorithm that uses event-based observational error and background rain climatological values is evaluated using observing system simulation experiments (OSSE), and its performance is demonstrated in the case of an epic Colorado flood event. The rain event occurred between 11 and 12 September 2013. The results from OSSE show that the variational algorithm with event-based observational error consistently estimates more accurate rain rate than does the “R(ZHH, ZDR)” power-law algorithm. On the contrary, the usage of ad hoc or improper observational error degrades the performance of the variational method. Furthermore, the variational algorithm is less sensitive to the observational error of differential reflectivity ZDR than is the R(ZHH, ZDR) algorithm. The variational quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) retrieved more accurate rainfall estimation than did the power-law dual-polarization QPE in this particular event, despite the fact that both algorithms used the same dual-polarization radar measurements from the Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD).

This paper explores the characteristics of raindrop spectra in terms of raindrop size distribution (RSD) using 4 years of Joss–Waldvogel disdrometer data over Palau islands (7 o 20′ N, 134 o 28′ E) in Western Tropical Pacific ocean. The RSD characteristics are studied in two seasons (easterly monsoon—EM and westerly monsoon—WM) using three (stratiform, deep convection, and shallow convection) rain types identified from collocated 1290-MHz wind profiler radar (WPR). In addition to the ground-based sensors observations, TRMM and MODIS satellite-derived rain parameters and atmospheric parameters are utilized to study RSD characteristics. RSD characteristics stratified on the basis of rainrate show that the mean values of raindrop concentrations of small (medium and larger) drops are same (more) in WM compared to EM season. Normalized gamma distribution of RSD shows that the mean value of mass-weighted mean diameter, D m (normalized intercept parameter, log 10 N w ), is higher (lower) in WM than the EM season. In addition, the mean value of D m (log 10 N w ) is higher (lower) in deep convective precipitation as compared to the other two types of precipitation (stratiform and shallow convection) in both monsoon periods. In conjunction with the remote sensing data (MODIS & TRMM), RSD shows that the presences of cold clouds which extend to deeper altitudes are responsible for the higher D m during WM season. The immediate significance of the present work is that (1) it contributes to our understanding of seasonal variations of RSD and distribution of different rain types, and (2) it provides information which is useful for quantitative estimation of rainfall from weather radar observations.

This study investigates the influence of the Madden Julian oscillations (MJO) and equatorial Rossby (ER) waves on tropical cyclone (TC) formation in western Pacific during June 2004 through one control and three wave experiments for each of the five TCs. The control experiment reasonably simulates the formation of five TCs. In the corresponding wave experiments, the MJO, ER waves, and both the MJO and ER waves are removed, from the initial fields and lateral boundary conditions, respectively. The differences of simulated TC intensity between the control and corresponding wave experiments provide a quantitative assessment of the relative contribution of each wave to TC formation. In the wave experiments with the MJO removed, three of the five TCs are weakened, and the remaining two (TC A and B) grow stronger due to an altered background flow that steered the TCs into more favorable oceanic regions. For the wave experiments with ER waves removed, three of the five simulated TCs become weaker (TC A, C, and E). TC D develops into a tropical storm because of a dominant influence from active synoptic-scale disturbance. The results indicate that both the MJO and ER waves have an important modulating effect on TC formation. In addition to the influence from the MJO, ER and synoptic-scale waves, local processes may dominate in TC formation; for the example of TC B, none of the waves positively influence the formation in significant ways. The present modeling approach provides a quantitative assessment of the relative contribution of tropical wave disturbances to TC formation.

Fall velocity-diameter relationships for four different snowflake types (dendrite, plate, needle, and graupel) were investigated in northeastern South Korea, and a new algorithm for classifying hydrometeors is proposed for distrometric measurements based on the new relationships. Falling ice crystals (approximately 40 000 particles) were measured with a two-dimensional video disdrometer (2DVD) during a winter experiment from 15 January to 9 April 2010. The fall velocity-diameter relationships were derived for the four types of snowflakes based on manual classification by experts using snow photos and 2DVD measurements: the coefficients (exponents) for different snowflake types were 0.82 (0.24) for dendrite, 0.74 (0.35) for plate, 1.03 (0.71) for needle, and 1.30 (0.94) for graupel, respectively. These new relationships established in the present study (PS) were compared with those from two previous studies. Hydrometeor types were classified with the derived fall velocity-diameter relationships, and the classification algorithm was evaluated using 3× 3 contingency tables for one rain-snow transition event and three snowfall events. The algorithm showed good performance for the transition event: the critical success indices (CSIs) were 0.89, 0.61 and 0.71 for snow, wet-snow and rain, respectively. For snow events, the algorithm performance for dendrite and plate (CSIs = 1.0 and 1.0, respectively) was better than for needle and graupel (CSIs = 0.67 and 0.50, respectively).

Measurement of the usefulness of numerical weather prediction considers not only the forecast quality but also the possible economic value (EV) in the daily decision-making process of users. Discrimination ability of an ensemble prediction system (EPS) can be assessed by the relative operating characteristic (ROC), which is closely related to the EV provided by the same forecast system. Focusing on short-range probabilistic quantitative precipitation forecasts (PQPFs) for typhoons, this study demonstrates the consistent and strongly related characteristics of ROC and EV based on the Local Analysis and Prediction System (LAPS) EPS operated at the Central Weather Bureau in Taiwan. Sensitivity experiments including the effect of terrain, calibration, and forecast uncertainties on ROC and EV show that the potential EV provided by a forecast system is mainly determined by the discrimination ability of the same system. The ROC and maximum EV (EVmax) of an EPS are insensitive to calibration, but the optimal probability threshold to achieve the EVmax becomes more reliable after calibration. In addition, the LAPS ensemble probabilistic forecasts outperform deterministic forecasts in respect to both ROC and EV, and such an advantage grows with increasing precipitation intensity. Also, even without explicitly knowing the cost–loss ratio, one can still optimize decision-making and obtain the EVmax by using ensemble probabilistic forecasts.

Two contrasting localized heavy rainfall events during Taiwan’s early summer rainy season with the daily rainfall maximum along the windward mountain range and coast were studied and compared using a combination of observations and numerical simulations. Both events occurred under favorable large-scale settings including the existence of a moisture tongue from the tropics. For the 31 May case, heavy rainfall occurred in the afternoon hours over the southwestern windward slopes after a shallow surface front passed central Taiwan. The orographic lifting of the prevailing warm, moist, west-southwesterly flow aloft, combined with a sea breeze–upslope flow at the surface provided the localized lifting needed for the development of heavy precipitation. On 16 June before sunrise, pronounced orographic blocking of the warm, moist, south-southwesterly flow occurred because of the presence of relatively cold air at low levels as a result of nocturnal and rain evaporative cooling. As a result, convective systems intensified as they moved toward the southwestern coast. During the daytime, the cold pool remained over southwestern Taiwan without the development of onshore/upslope flow. Furthermore, with a south-southwesterly flow aloft parallel to terrain contours, orographic lifting aloft was absent and preexisting rain cells offshore diminished after they moved inland. Over northern Taiwan on the lee side, a sea breeze/onshore flow developed in the afternoon hours, resulting in heavy thundershowers. These results demonstrate the importance of diurnal and local effects on determining the location and timing of the occurrences of localized heavy precipitation during the early summer rainy season over Taiwan.

Summary This study documents from an observational perspective the structure of precipitation systems over the complex topography of Taiwan as Typhoon Morakot (2009) impinged on the island on 8 August 2009. An advanced multiple-Doppler radar synthesis technique particularly designed for dealing with non-flat surfaces is applied to analyze the three-dimensional wind fields over the ocean and terrain. In the northern and southern portion of the analysis domain where the mountain slope is relatively gentle and steep, respectively, the radar reflectivity measurements indicate that the precipitation systems exhibit very distinct features, namely, horizontal translation in the north and abrupt intensification in the south. While still far from the southern mountainous region, a north–south oscillation of an east–west-oriented band of strong radar reflectivity (>40 dBZ) with a horizontal span of 20 km is observed. Along the mountain slopes, the band of strong radar reflectivity has a much wider north–south extent. Both the radar and rain gauge observations show that the major precipitation is primarily confined to the windward side of the mountains. An analysis of the saturated Brunt–Vaisala frequency reveals that the upstream atmosphere is statically unstable, which implies that the lifting of the incoming convective cells by the topography will easily trigger precipitation. Thus, most of the moisture will be consumed before the air reaches the leeward side of the mountains. The long duration and the wide range of heavy precipitation in the mountainous regions resulted in a record-breaking average (over the gauges) rainfall amount of 2000 mm over 4 days. The prevailing winds approaching the mountains are from the west. The cross-barrier wind speed has a maximum (∼40 m s −1 ) above the mountain crest that can be reasonably explained by a simplified shallow water model. The capability of applying the weather radar to provide a reliable quantitative estimate of the rainfall over a large area with high temporal and spatial resolution is demonstrated using dual-polarimetric radar data. The potential applications of the knowledge of the wind and precipitation characteristics in hydrology and other fields are addressed in this manuscript.

The trends of four common climate change indices related to extreme precipitation events during the typhoon season (July–October) from 21 stations in Taiwan are investigated using a robust nonparametric method. Upward trends in precipitation intensity and 5-day total precipitation amounts prevail from 1950 to 2010. Longer drought duration is also noted, in southern Taiwan in particular. Daily precipitation during the typhoon season is further partitioned into typhoon and monsoon rainfall. Precipitation intensity induced by typhoons and monsoon systems has both increased over the last 60years; these two components collectively contribute to strong upward trend in precipitation intensity.

This paper examines the springtime cloud properties in the Taiwan Strait (TS), with emphases on their dependence on synoptic controls and local processes, using a suite of in situ and remote sensing observations. Cloud properties in the TS are inferred from a combination of MODIS and in situ observations and further classified into two synoptic conditions: continental cold air surge and frontal system. The study reveals a predominance of synoptic-scale controls in regulating the cloud properties in the TS. The sensitivity of clouds to the local thermodynamic mechanisms as well as the underlying surface conditions is fundamentally dependent on synoptic-scale flow patterns. The springtime clouds over the TS are commonly a mixture of stratocumulus and alto clouds. More precisely, there is a preponderance of stratocumulus over the strait. A preferential occupancy of stratiform alto clouds is recognized during cold air surge, whereas vertical development of cloud layers (mostly the stratocumulus) is commonly observed with frontal passage. The most distinct difference between the local clouds formation associated with the two synoptic conditions is the suppression of very low cloud and fog along with cold air surge. Stratus clouds and fog are present within the northward prefrontal airflow from warmer to colder water sites, along with an increase in stability relating to lower altitudes of boundary layer clouds. Although the rainfall occurrences are about the same for both synoptic conditions, the frontal rain amounts are larger on average.

This study aimed to identify optimal cold-temperature indices that are associated with the elevated risks of mortality from, and outpatient visits for all causes and cardiopulmonary diseases during the cold seasons (November to April) from 2000 to 2008 in Northern, Central and Southern Taiwan. Eight cold-temperature indices, average, maximum, and minimum temperatures, and the temperature humidity index, wind chill index, apparent temperature, effective temperature (ET), and net effective temperature and their standardized Z scores were applied to distributed lag non-linear models. Index-specific cumulative 26-day (lag 0–25) mortality risk, cumulative 8-day (lag 0–7) outpatient visit risk, and their 95% confidence intervals were estimated at 1 and 2 standardized deviations below the median temperature, comparing with the Z score of the lowest risks for mortality and outpatient visits. The average temperature was adequate to evaluate the mortality risk from all causes and circulatory diseases. Excess all-cause mortality increased for 17–24% when average temperature was at Z = − 1, and for 27–41% at Z = − 2 among study areas. The cold-temperature indices were inconsistent in estimating risk of outpatient visits. Average temperature and THI were appropriate indices for measuring risk for all-cause outpatient visits. Relative risk of all-cause outpatient visits increased slightly by 2–7% when average temperature was at Z = − 1, but no significant risk at Z = − 2. Minimum temperature estimated the strongest risk associated with outpatient visits of respiratory diseases. In conclusion, the relationships between cold temperatures and health varied among study areas, types of health event, and the cold-temperature indices applied. Mortality from all causes and circulatory diseases and outpatient visits of respiratory diseases has a strong association with cold temperatures in the subtropical island, Taiwan., Highlights • Cold temperature elevated mortality from all causes and circulatory diseases. • Cold temperatures caused greater impact on outpatient visits of respiratory diseases. • Average temperature was the optimal cold index in association with mortality. • Minimum temperature was most associated with outpatient visits of respiratory disease.