An observational analysis of warm‐sector rainfall characteristics associated with the 21 July 2012 Beijing extreme rainfall event

Abstract

Abstract An observational analysis of the multiscale processes leading to the extreme rainfall event in Beijing on 21 July 2012 is performed using rain gauge records, Doppler radar, and satellite products, radiosondes, and atmospheric analysis. This rainstorm process included two heavy rainfall stages in the early afternoon [1300–1400 Beijing Standard time (BST) (0500–0600 UTC)] and the evening (1600–1900 BST), respectively. The first stage exhibited warm‐sector rainfall characteristics as it occurred under low‐level warm and moist southeasterly flows ahead of a synoptic‐scale vortex and a cold front. When the southeasterly flows turned northeastward along a southwest‐northeast oriented mountain range in western Beijing, mesoscale convergence centers formed on the windward side of the mountain range in the early afternoon, initiating moist convection. Radar echo showed a northeastward propagation as these flows extended northward. Despite the shallowness of moist convection in the warm sector, atmospheric liquid water content showed the rapid accumulation, and a large amount of supercooled water and/or ice particles was possibly accumulated above the melting level. These appeared to contribute to the occurrence of the largest rainfall rate. During the second stage, as the synoptic‐scale vortex moved across Beijing, with southeastward intrusion of its northwesterly flows, the vortex‐associated lifting caused the generation of strong updrafts aloft and formed deep convection. This facilitated the further accumulation of supercooled water and/or ice particles above the melting level. Radar echo propagated southeastward. Liquid water showed a decrease in the lower troposphere, and there were strong downdrafts due to evaporation of liquid water particles, which resulted in the relatively weak hourly rainfall rates.