The Southern China Monsoon Rainfall Experiment (SCMREX)

Abstract

uring the pre-summer rainy season (April-June), South China often experiences frequent occurrences of extreme rainfall, leading to severe flooding and inundations. To expedite the efforts in improving the quantitative precipitation forecast (QPF) of the pre-summer rainy season rainfall, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) initiated a nationally coordinated research project, namely, the Southern China Monsoon Rainfall Experiment (SCMREX) that was endorsed by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) as a Research and Development Project (RDP) of the World Weather Research Programme (WWRP). The SCMREX RDP (2013-2018) consists of four major components: field campaign, database management, studies on physical mechanisms of heavy rainfall events, and convection-permitting numerical experiments including impact of data assimilation, evaluation/improvement of model physics, and ensemble prediction. The pilot field campaigns were carried out during early May to mid-June of 2013-15. This paper: (i) describes the scientific objectives, pilot field campaigns, and data sharing of SCMREX; (ii) provides an overview of heavy rainfall events during the SCMREX-2014 intensive observing period; and (iii) presents examples of preliminary research results and explains future research opportunities.