The strengthening relationship between summer rainfall over North China and PDO since the mid-2000s

Abstract

The interdecadal change of the summer (July–August) rainfall over North China (SRNC) is of great concern to the climate research community. Based on the sliding correlation and interdecadal difference analysis, the interdecadal change of SRNC was studied. Results show a significantly wetter period of SRNC since the mid-2000s, which was associated with strengthening negative relationship between SRNC and PDO. PDO affected the SRNC through the jet stream in the upper-level and the East Asia–Pacific (EAP) teleconnection pattern. In the negative phase of the PDO since the mid-2000s, the contractive upper-level jet stream in the west of North China resulted in the abnormal updraft over the southern region of North China. Meanwhile, the positive phase of the EAP teleconnection pattern brought warm and wet southeast flow entering North China from its eastern boundary, both bringing more rainfall in North China. The abnormal water vapor transport from the western Pacific was very different from that accompanying the East Asian summer monsoon.