Open AccessImpact of radar data assimilation on a squall line over the Yangtze–Huaihe River Basin with a radar reflectivity operator accounting for ice‐phase hydrometeors
Author(s) -
Shen Feifei,
Xu Dongmei,
Li Hong,
Liu Ruixia
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
meteorological applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1469-8080
pISSN - 1350-4827
DOI - 10.1002/met.1967
Subject(s) - squall line , radar , meteorology , weather radar , data assimilation , weather research and forecasting model , disdrometer , environmental science , geology , climatology , precipitation , remote sensing , geography , computer science , telecommunications , rain gauge
A radar reflectivity observation operator with ice‐phase hydrometeors was employed for the assimilation of the real radar observations of a squall line on June 14, 2009, over Anhui and Jiangsu provinces in China. The three‐dimensional variational (3DVAR) data‐assimilation system along with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model was applied. The impact of assimilating radar radial velocity and reflectivity is investigated by analysing the meteorological conditions for different stages of the squall line. The results show that the radar data‐assimilation experiments adjust and improve the initial fields to some extent for the squall line with the cycling data‐assimilation strategy. The analysed and predicted radar composite reflectivity is significantly improved with the use of the ice‐phase hydrometeors observation operator. The improvements are illustrated in terms of the wind fields for both the surface and upper level, the radar reflectivity, the surface perturbation potential temperature and the surface perturbation pressure. In addition, the forecast skills of the precipitation are improved noticeably for both the location and the intensity after using the ice‐phase hydrometeors radar observation operator.