Initiation, maintenance, and properties of convection in an extreme rainfall event during SCMREX: Observational analysis

A long-lived mesoscale convective system (MCS) with extreme rainfall over the western coastal region of Guangdong on 10 May 2013 during the Southern China Monsoon Rainfall Experiment (SCMREX) is studied. The environmental conditions are characterized by little convective inhibition, low-lifting condensation level, moderate convective available potential energy and precipitable water, and lack of low-level jets from the tropical ocean. Repeated convective back building and subsequent northeastward "echo training" of convective cells are found during the MCS's development stages. However, the initiation/maintenance factors and organization of convection differ significantly during the earlier and later stages. From midnight to early morning, convection is continuously initiated as southeasterly flows near the surface impinge on the east side of mesoscale mountains near the coastal lines and then moves northeastward, leading to formation of two quasi-stationary rainbands. From early morning to early afternoon, new convection is repeatedly triggered along a mesoscale boundary between precipitation-induced cold outflows and warm air from South China Sea and Gulf of Tokin, resulting in the formation of "band training" of several parallel rainbands that move eastward in a later time, i.e., two scales of "training" of convective elements are found. As the MCS dissipates, a stronger squall line moves into the region from the west and passes over within about 3.5 h, contributing about 10%-15% to the total rainfall amount. It is concluded that terrain, near-surface winds, warm advection from the upstream ocean in the boundary layer, and precipitation-generated cold outflows play important roles in initiating and maintaining the extreme rain-producing MCS.