Surface rainfall and cloud budgets associated with mei-yu torrential rainfall over eastern China during June 2011

Surface rainfall and cloud budgets associated with three heavy rainfall events that occurred over eastern China during the mei-yu season in June 2011 were analyzed using 2D cumulus ensemble model simulation data. Model domain mean rainfall showed three peaks in response to three prescribed ascending motion maxima, primarily through the mean moisture convergence during the torrential rainfall period. Prescribed ascending motion throughout the troposphere produced strong convective rainfall during the first (9 June) and third (17–18 June) rainfall events, whereas strong prescribed ascending motion in the mid and upper troposphere and weak subsidence near the surface generated equally important stratiform and convective rainfall during the second rainfall event (14 June). The analysis of surface rainfall budgets reveals that convective rainfall was associated with atmospheric drying during the first event and moisture convergence during the third event. Both stratiform and convective rainfall responded primarily to moisture convergence during the second event. An analysis of grid data shows that the first and third mean rainfall maxima had smaller horizontal scales of the precipitation system than the second.