ISENTROPIC POTENTIAL VORTICITY ANALYSIS ON THE MESOSCALE CYCLONE DEVELOPMENT IN A TORRENTIAL RAIN PROCESS^*

The mesoscale model MM4 is used to simulate the torrential rain associated with Meiyu front occurring on 5-6 July.1991 in the Changjiang-Huaihe Basin.Based on the outputs of the model,the cause of the mesoscale cyclogenesis on the lower troposphere is investigated in terms of the potential vorticity principle.The results show that because of the favorable pattern of moist isentropic surface,the absolute vorticity increases when cold air with high moist potential vorticity value rapidly slides down southwards along the moist isentropic surface,and then causes the cyclonic vortex development.