A Strengthened Influence of ENSO on August High Temperature Extremes over the Southern Yangtze River Valley since the Late 1980s

Abstract

Abstract The present study investigates the decadal change in the relationship between China high temperature extremes (HTEs) and El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). It is found that the relationship between the August HTEs in the southern Yangtze River valley (SYRV) and ENSO has strengthened since the late 1980s. Before the late 1980s, the relationship is weak, whereas, after the late 1980s, the August hot-day numbers in the SYRV region tend to be more than normal during El Niño decaying years. During 1988–2008, El Niño–induced August warm SST anomalies are mainly located in the eastern tropical and north Indian Ocean. As a response to the north Indian Ocean warming, the South Asia high extends eastward, and the SYRV is overlain by upper-level easterly anomalies. The cold horizontal temperature advection induced by upper-level easterly anomalies leads to anomalous descent, which is conducive to the occurrence of HTEs through adiabatic warming. During 1966–86, El Niño–induced August warm SST anomalies are mainly distributed in the equatorial central and southwest tropical Indian Ocean. Corresponding to the equatorial Indian Ocean warming, the ascending motion over the Arabian Sea is enhanced, which leads to an anomalous anticyclone over the Middle East through a Rossby wave–type response and in turn an anomalous cyclone over China through a midlatitude wave pattern. The SYRV is controlled by upper-level westerly anomalies, which is not conducive to the occurrence of HTEs since the corresponding horizontal temperature advection and anomalous vertical motion are weak. As such, the impact of ENSO on August SYRV HTEs is weak before the late 1980s.