The monthly weather summary – A wet October 2020

Hong Kong being a candidate for GRUAN

The participation of the Kowloon station, operated by the Hong Kong Observatory, will provide reference measurements from a sub-tropical region in south east Asia, which is a very valuable addition to GRUAN. Kowloon station will contribute to GRUAN with twice daily RS41 radiosoundings, and regular CFH soundings for in-situ stratospheric water vapor measurements are foreseen.

La Nina is taking shape

La Niña has developed and is expected to last into next year, affecting temperatures, precipitation and storm patterns in many parts of the world, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). This year’s La Niña is expected to be moderate to strong. The last time there was a strong event was in 2010-2011, followed by a moderate event in 2011-2012.

September 2020 being the warmest on record

It was the warmest September on record for the globe. The first nine months of 2020 were the second warmest on record (after 2016), according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The 10 warmest Septembers have all occurred since 2005. The seven warmest Septembers have occurred in the last seven years (2014-2020), continuing the long-term warming trend.

2020’s most powerful storm, Typhoon Goni, hit the Philippines

Goni made landfall as a super typhoon at Catanduanes island on 1 November at 04:50 local time (19:50 GMT on 31 October) packing winds of 225km/h (140mph).

50th Anniversary of China’s Fengyun Satellite Program

This year marks the 50th anniversary of China’s Fengyun Satellite Program. Up to now, China has launched 17 Fengyun meteorological satellites in total, with 7 in orbit.

ECMWF moving towards a policy of open data

The World Meteorological Organization has welcomed the announcement by the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts that hundreds of ECMWF forecast charts will become free and accessible to all.

Recent publications by HK Met Soc Members

1. He C, W. Zhou, 2020: Different enhancement of the East Asian summer monsoon under global warming and interglacial epochs simulated by CMIP6 models: Role of the subtropical high. J. Climate, 33, 9721-9733. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-20-0304.1
2. Zhou H, W Zhou, Y. Liu, Y. Yuan, J. Huang, Y. Liu, 2020: Identifying spatial extent of meteorological droughts: An examination over a humid region. Journal of Hydrology, 591. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2020.125505
3. Zhou H, W. Zhou, Y.B. Liu, Y. Yuan, J.Huang, and Y. Liu, 2020: Meteorological Drought Migration in the Poyang Lake Basin, China: Switching among Different Climate Modes. Journal of Hydrometeorology, 21, 415-431. https://doi.org/10.1175/JHM-D-19-0183.1
4. He C., T. Li, W. Zhou, 2020: Drier North American monsoon in contrast to Asian-African monsoon under global warming. J. Climate, 33, 9801-9816. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-20-0189.1
5. Jian Y.T., X.X. Li, W. Zhou, M.Q. Jian, Y T. Leung, K Y. Cheung, 2020: Analysis of record-high temperature over Southeast coastal China in winter 2018/2019: the combined effect of mid-to-high-latitude circulation systems and SST forcing over the North Atlantic and tropical western Pacific. J. Climate., 33, 8813-8831. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-19-0732.1
6. Shi Y., Y. Du, Z Cheng, W. Zhou, 2020: Occurrence and impacts of tropical cyclones over the southern South China Sea. Int J Climatol., 40, 4218–4227. https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.6454
7. Liu Y., W. Zhou, Q.U. Xia, RG WU, 2020: An interdecadal change of the boreal summer silk road pattern around the late 1990s. J. Climate., 33, 7083-7100. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-19-0795.1
8. Akinsanola, A. A., and W. Zhou, 2020: Understanding the variability of West African summer monsoon rainfall: Contrasting tropospheric features and monsoon index. Atmosphere, 11, 309. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11030309
9. Akinsanola, A. A., W. Zhou, T.J. Zhou, and Noel Keenlyside, 2020: Amplification of synoptic to annual variability of West African summer monsoon rainfall under global warming. npj Climate and Atmospheric Science, 3. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-020-0125-1
10. Abolude, A. T., Akinsanola, A. A., and W. Zhou, 2020: Evaluation and projections of wind power resources over China for the energy industry using CMIP5 models. Energies, 13, 2417. https://doi.org/10.3390/en13102417
11. Qiao S, M Zou, H.N, Cheung, W. Zhou, Q. Li, C. Feng, and W. Dong, 2020: Predictability of the wintertime 500 hPa geopotential height over Ural-Siberia in the NCEP climate forecast system. Climate Dynamics, 54, 1591-1606. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-019-05074-8
12. Zhu M, Liu Z, and Hu W, 2020: Observing Water Vapor Variability During Three Super Typhoon Events in Hong Kong Based on GPS Water Vapor Tomographic Modeling Technique. J Geophys Res Atmos, 125. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JD032318
13. Wang, Q., Zhang, C., Ren, C., Hang, J., and Li, Y., 2020: Urban heat island circulations over the Beijing-Tianjin region under calm and fair conditions. Building and Environment, 180, 107063. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2020.107063
14. Wang Z, Song J, Chan PW and Li Y. 2020. The urban moisture island phenomenon and its mechanisms in a high-rise high-density city. International Journal of Climatology, 11. https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.6672