Climate Events and Impactsover China in 2012

HUANG Dapeng

National Climate Center, China Meteorological Administration

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Contents 1. Characteristics of temperature

2. Characteristics of Precipitation

3. Significant Climate Events

2

Annual average temperature for 2012 was slightly below normal

Annual average temperature for China during 1961-2012

9.4℃ ， 0.2 ℃below normal

Tem

pera

ture（℃）

Year

1981-2010 average

3

Average temperature anomalies over China in 2012

Annual average temperatures were below normal in Northeast China and North China, and above normal in Southwest China.

Below normal

Above normal

4

Temperature anomalies for each season over China in 2012(unit: )℃

Above-normal temperatures were present for spring, summer and autumn with the exception of winter

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• Winter temperature was -4.3 and ranked the lowest since 1986℃• Autumn temperature was 9.6 , marking the eighth consecutive year with ℃

an above-normal temperature.

• The number of hot days in 2012 ranked the lowest in the recent 8 years.

• 32 stations broke daily maximum temperature records

Annual average hot days for China during 1961-2011

Near-normal hot Days (daily maximum temperature ≥ 35 ) for 2012℃

8.2dnear-

normal

Hot

day

s (d

)

Year

Hot days anomalies over China

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669.3mm6.3 percent above

normal

Above-normal precipitation for ChinaPr

ecip

itatio

n to

tals

(m

m)

Year

• The total precipitation in China was 669.3mm, 6.3 percent above normal, and 20.4 % above 2011.

Precipitation anomaly percentage （ % ） Annual average precipitation totals for China

during 1951-2011

7above-normal precipitation

Precipitation anomalies of China in each month of 2011(mm)

• Drier-than-normal conditions in winter, wetter-than-normal conditions in spring, summer and autumn consecutively in China

Above-normal precipitation totals were present for spring, summer and autumn with the exception of winter

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Meteorological disasters impacted regional areas seriously

1. Less heavy-rainfall and flood hazards in general and serious regional, flash floods and geological disasters

2. The number of tropical cyclones was near average and the landing time of typhoons was concentrated and the affected region was wide

3. Significant regional and staging drought with less influence

4. Frequent regional low temperature, overcast and rainy weather

5. Sand and dust days for spring in northern China ranked the lowest since 1961

6. Frequent haze in central-eastern China

Significant climate events

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335.8 billion yuan for 2012

The 1990-2011 average is 214.8

billion yuan

Annual direct economic losses caused by meteorological disasters during 1990-2012

Dir

ect e

cono

mic

loss

(× 1

08 yua

n)

Year

10

1390 persons for 2012

The 1990-2011 average is 3914 persons

Number of the dead/missing persons caused by meteorological disasters during 1990-2012

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• Affected areas and the number of the dead or missing persons

caused by heavy rainfall and flood hazards were much below the

1990-2011 average

• The direct economic loss was more than 160 billion Yuan, slightly

above the 1990-2011 average.

• In general, 2012 was a year with less heavy-rainfall and

flood hazards.

Less heavy-rainfall and flood hazards in general

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The average precipitation for Apr 4 to May 15 in six provinces of China during 1951-2012

• Frequent heavy-rainfall and local floods for Spring in the south of China:

The precipitation for six provinces in the south of China during Apr 5th

to May 15th was 358.2 mm, which was 43.3 percent above the 1980-

2010 average of 250mm and ranked the wettest year in recent 32 years.

Regional flash floods and serious geological disasters

358.2 mm for 2012

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Precipitation totals for mid to end of July, 2012 in China

• Flood hazards in several provinces along the upper and middle reaches

of Yangtze River for mid to end of July, 2012.

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• Torrential rains hit Beijing, Tianjing and Hebei in the end of July, resulting in more than 100 fatalities.

• Rainfall over Beijing from 21 and 22 July 2012 averaged 190.3mm, which was a

once-in-a-hundred-year event

Rainfall totals from July 21 and 22 in Beijing, Tianjing and Hebei

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Flooded streets in Beijing

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Landing time of typhoons was concentrated and the affected region was wide

• Landing time of typhoons was concentrated.The number of landing typhoons for 2012 was 7 and six typhoons landed China in 30 days. “DAMREY”, “SAOLA” and “HAIKUI” landed China during one week at the beginning of August and the frequency ranked the highest in recent 17 years.

• Typhoons impacted China widely

The landing locations stretched from the coastal area of South China to that of northern China. “DAMREY”, “SAOLA” and “HAIKUI” affected 15 provinces (or autonomous regions and municipalities)

• Five typhoons moving northward impacted Northeast China in 2012 which ranked the busiest year on record.

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Number of tropical cyclones formed during 1971-2012

25

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Annual direct economic losses and death toll caused by tropical cyclones during

1990-2012

104.8 billion yuan , the

costiest year since 1990

96 fatalitiesMuch below the

1990-2011 average of 410 deaths

Less deaths and great economic losses caused by tropical cyclone

Dir

ect e

cono

mic

loss

(× 1

08 yua

n)

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Significant regional and staging drought with less influence

• Consecutive Drought for winter and spring in Southwest China

• Rainfall over Yunnan from Dec.1,2011 to May 24,2012 averaged 114.6

mm, 41 percent below 1981-2010 average, which ranked the lowest since

1980.

114.6 mm

Annual precipitation totals from Dec.1,2011 to May 24,2012 over Yunnan Province

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Meteorological drought monitoring over China on June 25, 2012

Extreme drought and severe drought in Huanghuai and Jianghuai regions.

Meteorological drought monitoring over China on Aug. 17, 2012

Summer drought in Hubei, Chongqing and Henan Province

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Frequent regional low temperature, overcast and rainy weather

• Serious low temperature and rainy weather in parts of southern China in early 2012

The average temperature from early January to the middle of March in nine provinces (Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Guizhou and Shanghai） ranked the third lowest in recent 27 years ， the precipitation ranked the most since 1999, the rain days ranked the most since 1951; the sunshine duration in Jiangxi, Zhejiang and much of Fujian ranked the lowest since 1951• Frequent overcast and rainy weather and large amounts of rain in

Jiangnan and Huanan regions

The rain days in Guangdong Province ranked the most since 1951; The rain days in Zhejiang and Jiangxi ranked the most in recent 46 years; The precipitation ranked the most since 1951 in Fujian and Guangdong and the second most in Jiangxi; 22

Frequency of sand and dust storm for spring in northern China ranked the lowest since 1961

Sand

and

dus

t day

s (d)

Year

Sand and dust days (sand-blowing, sandstorm, strong sandstorm) averaged over northern China in Spring (March-May) during 1961-2011

1.3 days for 2012

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Frequency of sand and dust storm events over northern China in Spring during 2000-2011

• The earliest beginning date of sand and dust storms in 2012 was 20 March, which ranked the latest since 2001

10 sand and dust storm

events for 2012, much

below the 1981-2010 average of 17

6 sandstorms and

strong sandstorms

for 2012, 2 times

below the 2001 –

2010 average

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Frequency haze in central-eastern China

The haze days for 2012 was much above the 1981-2010 average

• The averaged haze days in the area on the east of 100o E was 16 being 7.2 days above the 1981-2010 average, which ranked the 4th most since 1961

Haze days anomalies over China in 2012 (unit:d)

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Flood The most serious flood for summer in upper and middle reaches of Yellow River since 1989

Drought Huanghuai and Jianghuai experienced drought In early summer

Flood The upper and middle reaches of Yangtze River experienced flood in mid to end of July

Snow disaster North China suffered the cold wave and snowstorm in early Novermber

Flood numerous locations suffered flood disasters in Jiangnan and South China in Spring

Snow disaster HeilongJiang experience the snowstorm in middle of Novermber

Significant Meteorological disasters and Climate Events in 2012

Snowmelt FloodIn western Xinjiang, winter snow are more than the normal, it melts after the spring and results in flood

Geological disasterFlash floods and debris flow disasters occurred in Minxian of Gansu, Ningnan of Sichuan, Yiliang of Yunnan

Drought The southwest of China experienced winter-spring drought

Flood The heavy rainfall caused waterlogging and inundation in big cities such as Beijing and Tianjing during the summer.

Frog In autumn, Fog and haze are frequent in central and eastern china, which effects air quality and traffic.

Typhoon seven tropical cyclones landed china with the intensity being slightly above normal, affected areas being wide and much disaster in general.

Hot days The persistent hot waves hit Huanghuai and much of Southern China in summer and numerous locations broke the maximum temperature records.

Low temperature Serious low temperature and rainy weather in parts of southern China in early 2012

Convection In April, strong convection hit southern China and caused serious casualties and losses

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