Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

Impacts of Urban Processes and Urbanization on Summer Precipitation: A Case Study of Heavy Rainfall in Beijing on 1 August 2006

Shiguang Miao Institute of Urban Meteorology, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing, China, and National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado

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Fei Chen National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado

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Qingchun Li Institute of Urban Meteorology, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing, China

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Shuiyong Fan Institute of Urban Meteorology, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing, China

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Print Publication:
01 Apr 2011
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/2010JAMC2513.1
Page(s):
806–825
Restricted access

Abstract

Finescale simulations (with 500-m grid spacing) using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) were used to investigate impacts of urban processes and urbanization on a localized, summer, heavy rainfall in Beijing. Evaluation using radar and gauge data shows that this configuration of WRF with three-dimensional variational data assimilation of local weather and GPS precipitable water data can simulate this event generally well. Additional WRF simulations were conducted to test the sensitivity of simulation of this storm to different urban processes and urban land-use scenarios. The results confirm that the city does play an important role in determining storm movement and rainfall amount. Comparison of cases with and without the presence of the city of Beijing with respect to the approaching storm shows that the urban effect seems to lead to the breaking of the squall line into convective cells over the urban area. The change of precipitation amount depends on the degree of urbanization (i.e., the change over time in the extent of Beijing city). Model results show that an early urbanization prior to 1980 decreases the maximum rainfall, whereas further urbanization in Beijing is conducive to bifurcating the path of rainfall. According to sensitivity results with a single-layer urban canopy model, the thermal transport (sensible and latent heating) induced by the presence of an urban area apparently is more important than associated momentum transport, with latent and sensible heating apparently having equally important roles in the modification of simulated precipitation. Urban surfaces tend to cause the rainfall to be more locally concentrated. High-rise urban cores may bifurcate the path of rainfall as well as increase the area percentage of heavy rainfall.

The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

Corresponding author address: Shiguang Miao, IUM/CMA, 55 Beiwaxili Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100089, China. E-mail: sgmiao@ium.cn

Abstract

Finescale simulations (with 500-m grid spacing) using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) were used to investigate impacts of urban processes and urbanization on a localized, summer, heavy rainfall in Beijing. Evaluation using radar and gauge data shows that this configuration of WRF with three-dimensional variational data assimilation of local weather and GPS precipitable water data can simulate this event generally well. Additional WRF simulations were conducted to test the sensitivity of simulation of this storm to different urban processes and urban land-use scenarios. The results confirm that the city does play an important role in determining storm movement and rainfall amount. Comparison of cases with and without the presence of the city of Beijing with respect to the approaching storm shows that the urban effect seems to lead to the breaking of the squall line into convective cells over the urban area. The change of precipitation amount depends on the degree of urbanization (i.e., the change over time in the extent of Beijing city). Model results show that an early urbanization prior to 1980 decreases the maximum rainfall, whereas further urbanization in Beijing is conducive to bifurcating the path of rainfall. According to sensitivity results with a single-layer urban canopy model, the thermal transport (sensible and latent heating) induced by the presence of an urban area apparently is more important than associated momentum transport, with latent and sensible heating apparently having equally important roles in the modification of simulated precipitation. Urban surfaces tend to cause the rainfall to be more locally concentrated. High-rise urban cores may bifurcate the path of rainfall as well as increase the area percentage of heavy rainfall.

The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

Corresponding author address: Shiguang Miao, IUM/CMA, 55 Beiwaxili Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100089, China. E-mail: sgmiao@ium.cn
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