Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

SAFIR-3000 Lightning Statistics over the Beijing Metropolitan Region during 2005–07

Fan Wu Key Laboratory of Cloud-Precipitation Physics and Severe Storms, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

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Xiaopeng Cui Key Laboratory of Cloud-Precipitation Physics and Severe Storms, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, and Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, China

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Da-Lin Zhang Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, Maryland, and Key State Laboratory for Severe Weather, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing, China

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Dongxia Liu Key Laboratory of Middle Atmosphere and Global Environment Observation, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

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Dong Zheng Key State Laboratory for Severe Weather, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing, China

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Print Publication:
01 Dec 2016
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/JAMC-D-16-0030.1
Page(s):
2613–2633
Restricted access

Abstract

In this study, the spatiotemporal characteristics of cloud-to-ground (CG) and intracloud (IC) lightning flashes observed by Surveillance et Alerte Foudre par Interférometrie Radioélectrique (SAFIR)-3000 over the Beijing metropolitan region (BMR) during 2005–07 were investigated. The results showed the presence of 299 lightning days with 241 688 flashes, most of which were IC lightning flashes. Only 19% of the total flashes were CG lightning flashes; 14% of these CG flashes were positive. Most lightning activity occurred during the summer months (June–August), with a major diurnal peak around 1900 Beijing standard time (BST) and a secondary peak around 2300 BST. Spatial variations in flash density and lightning days both exhibited an obvious southeastwardly increasing pattern, with higher flash densities or more lightning days occurring in the southeastern plains and lower values distributed on the northwestern mountains. The Z ratio (IC/CG lightning flashes) exhibited a similar spatial pattern, but the percentage of positive CG lightning flashes showed an almost opposite pattern. The results also showed significant topographic effects on the spatiotemporal variations in lightning activity. That is, flash counts on the northeastern and southwestern mountains peaked in the afternoon, whereas those on the southeastern plains peaked in the late night to early morning, which could be attributed to the propagation of thunderstorms from the mountains to the plains. The results showed that the SAFIR-3000 lightning data are more useful than CG lightning data alone for forecasting the development and propagation of thunderstorms over the BMR.

Corresponding author e-mail: Xiaopeng Cui, xpcui@mail.iap.ac.cn

Abstract

In this study, the spatiotemporal characteristics of cloud-to-ground (CG) and intracloud (IC) lightning flashes observed by Surveillance et Alerte Foudre par Interférometrie Radioélectrique (SAFIR)-3000 over the Beijing metropolitan region (BMR) during 2005–07 were investigated. The results showed the presence of 299 lightning days with 241 688 flashes, most of which were IC lightning flashes. Only 19% of the total flashes were CG lightning flashes; 14% of these CG flashes were positive. Most lightning activity occurred during the summer months (June–August), with a major diurnal peak around 1900 Beijing standard time (BST) and a secondary peak around 2300 BST. Spatial variations in flash density and lightning days both exhibited an obvious southeastwardly increasing pattern, with higher flash densities or more lightning days occurring in the southeastern plains and lower values distributed on the northwestern mountains. The Z ratio (IC/CG lightning flashes) exhibited a similar spatial pattern, but the percentage of positive CG lightning flashes showed an almost opposite pattern. The results also showed significant topographic effects on the spatiotemporal variations in lightning activity. That is, flash counts on the northeastern and southwestern mountains peaked in the afternoon, whereas those on the southeastern plains peaked in the late night to early morning, which could be attributed to the propagation of thunderstorms from the mountains to the plains. The results showed that the SAFIR-3000 lightning data are more useful than CG lightning data alone for forecasting the development and propagation of thunderstorms over the BMR.

Corresponding author e-mail: Xiaopeng Cui, xpcui@mail.iap.ac.cn
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Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology

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