Physical Mechanism of Phased Variation of 2020 Extremely Heavy Meiyu in Middle and Lower Reaches of Yangtze River

The extremely heavy Meiyu in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in 2020 features early beginning, extremely late retreat, long duration, and a dramatic north-south swing rain belt. It can be divided into three phases. The key point of the extremely heavy Meiyu is the long duration of precipitation. The physical mechanism of the phased variation is researched here by analyzing the phased evolution of atmospheric circulation, the thermal effect of Tibetan Plateau, the sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTA), and tropical convection. The results show that: (1) Throughout the whole Meiyu season, the western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) is stronger and westward, the South Asian high (SAH) is stronger and eastward, and blocking highs are very active with different patterns at different stages; they all form flat mid-latitude westerlies with fluctuation interacting with WPSH and SAH, causing their ridges and the rain belt to swing drastically from north to south or vice versa. (2) The higher temperatures in the upper and middle atmosphere in the eastern and southern Tibetan Plateau and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, which are produced by the warm advection transport, the heat sources in Tibetan Plateau, and the latent heat of condensation of Meiyu, contribute greatly to the stronger and westward WPSH and the stronger and eastward SAH. The dry-cold air brought by the fluctuating westerlies converges with the warm-humid air over Tibetan Plateau, resulting in precipitation, which in turn enhances the heat source of Tibetan Plateau and regulates the swings of WPSH and SAH. (3) Different from climatological analysis, real-time SSTA in the Indian Ocean has no obviously direct effect on WPSH and Meiyu. The anomalous distribution and phased evolution process of real-time SSTA in South China Sea and the tropical western Pacific affect WPSH and Meiyu significantly through tropical convection and heat sources. The maintenance of strong positive SSTA in the western equatorial Pacific is a critical reason for the prolonged Meiyu season. Both the onset and the retreat of Meiyu in 2020 are closely related to the intensified positive SSTA and corresponding typhoons on the ocean east of the Philippines.