Monthly Highlights

Climate in China

During October, monthly mean surface air temperatures were near or below normal in most of China, with more than 1¡æ below average in Sichuan, Guizhou and Fujian. Only in Northeast China, temperatures were more than 2¡æ above average. For the month, rainfall totals were 50-100% below normal in most of China and no precipitation was received in South China, central Northwest China and northeastern Inner Mongolia. Meanwhile, rainfall totals were 50% above normal in eastern Tibet and eastern Qinghai, with 2-4 times more than normal in some local regions.

 

Climate in the World

Monthly mean surface air temperatures were 1-3¡æ below average in most of East Siberia, western South Asia and central China. Meanwhile temperatures were near or above normal in the other regions, with about 2~4¡æ above average along the coasts of Mediterranean Sea, from southern West Siberia to Northeast China, from eastern East Siberia to Alaska, in southeastern USA and most of Australia.

For the month, rainfall totals were more than 50% above normal in most of USA, the east coast of Australia, western Europe, the regions from Kazakhstan to western West Siberia Plain, southern Mid Siberia and the regions from southern Tibet to the Bay of Bengal, and even two times more than normal in local regions. Rainfall totals were about 50-100% less than normal in most of East Asia, mid-western South Asia, most of Australia and the coasts of Mediterranean Sea.

 

General Circulation Features

Northern Hemisphere: In October, the mean 500hPa geopotential height field exhibited a four-wave pattern at the mid-high latitudes. In the height anomaly field, the areas from northern Asia to western North America and from the central Atlantic to western Europe were covered by negative anomalies, with central values below ¨C12 dam near Ireland. Meanwhile, most of the other regions in the mid-high latitudes were dominated by positive anomalies, with the central values above 16 dam near south of Greenland. The Northwest Pacific subtropical high was smaller and slightly weaker than normal, and extended westward obviously.

Southern Hemisphere: For the month at the mean 500hPa geopotential height field, zonal circulation prevailed the mid-high latitudes. Negative anomalies below ¨C4 dam covered the southern Pacific around the date line. Meanwhile, heights in the other regions were near or above normal. Positive departures above 4 dam covered much of the polar region, with central values above 12 dam.

 

Tropical Features

Sea Surface Temperatures (SSTs): During October, above 0.5¡æ SST anomalies dominated the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, with central values above 1.5¡æ around the date line. SSTs in the eastern equatorial Pacific increased remarkably and weak negative SST anomalies disappeared in much of the offshore of South America. Weak negative SST anomalies controlled the west part of the western equatorial Pacific while above 0.5¡æ SST anomalies maintained in the equatorial Indian Ocean. Correspondingly, the SST indices of NINO 4, NINO 3, NINO 1+2 and NINO Z were 1.1¡æ, 0.4¡æ, 0¡æand 0.7¡æ, respectively.

Subsurface Temperatures: During October, the abnormally warm water weakened remarkably in the equatorial Pacific and moved up in the eastern equatorial Pacific.

Warm Pools: In October, the area of the western equatorial Pacific warm pool was slightly larger than normal, and its intensity weakened compared with last month. The area of the equatorial Indian Ocean warm pool was near normal and its intensity was slightly stronger than normal.

Wind Field: In this month, at the lower troposphere (850hPa), westerly anomalies controlled most of the equatorial Pacific except that weak easterly anomalies maintained in the eastern equatorial Pacific. The westerly anomalies over the western equatorial Pacific markedly strengthened with the central value above 4m/s. Easterly anomalies still controlled the equatorial Indian Ocean. At the upper troposphere (200hPa), easterly anomalies covered most of the equatorial Pacific while westerly anomalies controlled the equatorial Indian Ocean.

Southern Oscillation: During October, the Southern Oscillation Index was ¨C0.1.

Convection over the Tropics: For the month, the anomalous outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) distribution exhibited that the active convections over the western equatorial Pacific withdrew eastward and the convections were suppressed over Indonesia. In the lower troposphere (850hPa) divergent wind field, the convergent center was near 165¡ãE over the equator and the divergent center was around 108¡ãW, 12¡ãS. Correspondingly, at the upper troposphere (200hPa), the divergent center was near 165¡ãE over the equator, and the convergent center was over 115¡ãW, 15¡ãS.

 

ENSO Monitoring and Forecasting

a)       During October, above 0.5¡æ SST anomalies dominated the central and eastern equatorial Pacific. SSTs in the eastern equatorial Pacific increased remarkably and weak negative SST anomalies disappeared in much of the offshore of South America.

b)      In this month, abnormally high sub-surface temperatures weakened in the central equatorial Pacific and moved up in the eastern equatorial Pacific.

c)       The Southern Oscillation Index remained weak negative value.

d)      At the lower troposphere (850hPa), westerly anomalies kept controlling most of the equatorial Pacific and markedly strengthened over the western equatorial Pacific.

e)       The active convections over the western equatorial Pacific withdrew eastward and the convections were suppressed over Indonesia.

Recent oceanic and atmospheric status in the tropical Pacific showed that El Nino conditions sustained and the current situation is in favor of the development of ENSO warm-episode.