China tropical cyclone rainfall climatology
Encyclopedia
Typhoon Nina (1975)
Super Typhoon Nina was a short-lived but intense super typhoon that caused catastrophic damage and loss of life in China after causing the Banqiao Dam to collapse...
caused the collapse of two huge reservoirs and ten smaller dams when 1062 mm/41.81 inches fell in Henan Province during a 24 hour period, which is the record for Mainland China. Since 1957, there has been a downward trend in tropical cyclone rainfall for the country.
Mainland
Most of the rain China experiences during the year occurs during the summer months. Typhoons cause the many of the intense rains seen within the country. The heavy rains occur over a large area, typically 1000000 square kilometre. Across China between the years of 1983 and 2006, an average of 2.9 tropical cyclones move into Guangdong province, making it the most affected province within mainland China. Hainan averages 1.3 tropical cyclones annually, while Fujian experiences 1.2 tropical cyclones annually, and Zhejiang witnessed 0.9 tropical cyclones annually. The wettest tropical cyclone on record for the mainland was Typhoon Nina (1975)Typhoon Nina (1975)
Super Typhoon Nina was a short-lived but intense super typhoon that caused catastrophic damage and loss of life in China after causing the Banqiao Dam to collapse...
, which produced the highest areal average rainfall amounts between August 4 and August 8 for the Hongru river basin for most time durations. The risk of tropical cyclones across Guangxi, Jiangsu, Shandong, and Liaoning provinces is significantly lower, with these provinces averaging between 0.1 and 0.4 tropical cyclones annually.
Hong Kong
Typhoon Sam of the 1999 Pacific typhoon season1999 Pacific typhoon season
The 1999 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1999, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and November...
became the wettest known tropical cyclone to impact the area since records began in 1884, breaking a 73 year old record. A total of 23.98 inches/609 mm of rainfall fell between August 22 and August 25.
Lantau Island
| Wettest tropical cyclones in Lantau Island Highest known recorded totals |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precipitation | Storm | Location | ||
| Rank | (mm) | (in) | ||
| 1 | 700 mm | 27.56 inches | Ira 1993 | |
Taiwan/Taipei
The mountainous island of TaiwanTaiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
province experiences an average of 1.8 tropical cyclone landfalls each year. Due to its rugged topography, Taiwan sees extreme rains from tropical cyclones, particularly in its central mountain range.
Tibet Autonomous Region
An early October 2004 tropical depression brought moisture into the highlands of TibetTibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
, leading to daily precipitation of 60 mm/2.4 inches liquid equivalent to Che-Ku County all in the form of heavy snow, which was a new October daily precipitation record for both rain and snow. This led to a loss of 340,000 kg of food, 230,000 kg of forage grass, and 263 livestock in the snowstorm.
See also
- List of wettest tropical cyclones by country
- Tropical cycloneTropical cycloneA tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
- Tropical cyclone rainfall climatologyTropical cyclone rainfall climatologyA tropical cyclone rainfall climatology is developed to determine rainfall characteristics of past tropical cyclones. A tropical cyclone rainfall climatology can be used to help forecast current or upcoming tropical cyclone impacts. The degree of a tropical cyclone rainfall impact depends upon...
- Tropical cyclone rainfall forecastingTropical cyclone rainfall forecastingTropical cyclone rainfall forecasting involves using scientific models and other tools to predict the precipitation expected in tropical cyclones such as hurricanes and typhoons. Knowledge of tropical cyclone rainfall climatology is helpful in the determination of a tropical cyclone rainfall...