Thunderstorms with Extreme Lightning Activity in China: Climatology, Synoptic Patterns, and Convective Parameters

Abstract

Intense convection is often accompanied by high-frequency lightning and is highly prone to producing heavy rainfall, strong winds, hail, and tornadoes, frequently resulting in significant damage and loss of life. It is necessary to understand the mechanisms and meteorological conditions of intense convection. This study utilizes the Thunderstorm Feature Dataset from 2010–2018 to analyze the characteristics of thunderstorms with extreme lightning activity (TELAs), defined as thunderstorms whose lightning frequency ranks in the top 1%. Four regions with relatively high thunderstorm activity were selected for analysis: Northeast China (NEC), North China (NC), South China (SC), and the Tibetan Plateau (TP). In NEC, TELAs primarily occur just west of upper-level westerly troughs (UWT), including cold vortices. In NC, TELAs are mainly associated with UWT and subtropical highs (STH). In SC, TELAs are related to frontal systems, easterly waves, tropical cyclones, and STH. In TP, TELAs are generated by TP vortices. Before the TELA process, vertically integrated moisture divergence (VIMD) and convective available potential energy (CAPE) show the most notable anomalies. Except for the TP, TELAs are typically located between centers of anomalies with positive and negative geopotential height (500 hPa) and near centers of anomalies with positive CAPE and negative VIMD, accompanied by notable increases in surface temperature and wind speed. These findings offer a valuable reference for the early warning and forecasting of intense convection.