Proposed are a set of new regional flood/drought indices and a scheme of grading their severity whereby 1951-2000 summer wet/dry events are investigated for North China (NC) in terms of 160 station monthly precipitation data from NCC (China National Center of Climate).Results suggest that 7 heavy droughts during 1951-2000 are 1965,1968,1972,1980,1983,1997 and 1999,while 6 heavy floods are 1954,1956,1959,1964,1973 and 1996. Based on 1951-2000 summer flood/drought severity graded by the new scheme,atmospheric circulation characteristics associated with the disasters over the NC are addressed in terms of monthly NCEP (National Centers for Environmental Prediction) reanalysis of geopotential heights,winds,surface temperature and PW (precipitable water).Evidences suggest that prominent anomalies benefiting to the heavy droughts occur over the Northern Hemisphere.The variations over middle-high latitudes especially the negative ones on Ural Mountain to western Siberia deepen the normal trough there and are indicative of stronger than normal cold air activity. At middle latitudes,remarkable positive anomalies present on the south to Baikal lead to the fact that the normal ridge shifts eastward over NC concomitant with anomaly sinking motion in the whole troposphere,which is helpful for the maintenance of the continent high.And the opposed ones over Korea and Japan force the trough moving eastward running against northwestward shifting of the western Pacific subtropical high.In addition,the anomaly west-east pressure gradient at middle latitudes profits northerly flow there.The southerly monsoon flow at low levels is weaker than normal with weak East Asian summer monsoon,and the related water vapor transportation is also weak with deficit PW over NC.Besides,sea surface temperature (SST) rises in the equatorial eastern and central Pacific and associated convective region moves to the east accordingly companied with weak Walker circulation in the droughts.And the opposed situations will occur during the floods.
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