Climatological Features of the Western Pacific Subtropical High Southward Retreat Process in Late Spring and Early Summer

Based on the climatological daily mean NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data, NOAA outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) data, and pentad NOAA CMAP precipitation from 1979 to 2006, the variation of the western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) ridge during late spring and early summer (LSES) and its relationship with the onset of the Asian summer monsoon is discussed from a climatological perspective. It is found that a remarkable southward retreat process (SRP) of the WPSH during LSES appears at both lower and higher levels of the troposphere, with a lifespan of approximate two weeks. Afterwards, the first northward jump of the WPSH occurs. The end date of the WPSH SRP in the upper troposphere is about 10 days earlier than the beginning of the WPSH SRP in the lower troposphere, showing a meaningful leading signal for predicting the WPSH SRP in the lower troposphere and the subsequent northward jump of the WPSH. The WPSH SRP at lower levels happens simultaneously with a notable eastward shift of the WPSH. After the WPSH SRP at lower levels comes to the southernmost position around the end of May, the WPSH ridge axis inclines northward rather than southward with altitude due to the change of the meridional gradient of air temperature. The Asian summer monsoon onset and associated variations in strong convection and rainfall in Asia are closely related to the variations of WPSH SRP during LSES. In the mid-late period of the higher-level WPSH SRP, around the end of April, the summer monsoon onset takes place in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal. Following the start of the lower-level WPSH SRP, the South China Sea (SCS) summer monsoon breaks out (May 14-15). By the end of the lower-level WPSH SRP, in the beginning of June, the Indian summer monsoon kicks off. Upon the end of the lower-level WPSH return stage, the East Asian summer monsoon begins. The commencement of each component of the Asian summer monsoon system corresponds nicely to a particular stage of the WPSH SRP in the lower or higher troposphere. This offers valuable information for monsoon onset prediction in different sectors of Asia. In addition, it is found that there is a typical wet-dry-wet sandwich precipitation pattern, with two rainfall belts in the regions south and north to the WPSH main body, and a dry belt under it. The variation of this rainfall pattern is related to the shift of the WPSH ridge.