Analysis of the role played by circulation in the persistent precipitation over South China in June 2010

South China (SC) experienced persistent heavy rain in June 2010. The climatic anomalies and related mechanism are analyzed in this study. Results show that the large-scale circulation pattern favorable for precipitation was maintained. In the upper level, the South Asian High and westerly jet stream provided a divergent circulation over SC. In the middle and low levels, an anomalous strong subtropical high (STH) extended to the South China Sea. The southwesterly monsoon flow along the northwest flank of the STH transported abundant water vapor from the western North Pacific, the Bay of Bengal, and the South China Sea to SC. The precipitation can be classified into two types: the West Siberia low (WSL)-induced low-level cyclone mode, and the STH-induced low-level jet mode. STH and WSL indices are defined to estimate the influence of these two systems, respectively. Analysis shows that both are critical for precipitation, but their respective contributions differ from year to year. In 2010, both were important factors for the heavy rainfall in June. © 2012 Chinese National Committee for International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Science Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.