State of the climate over the Three Gorges Region of the Yangtze River in 2018

• Main Authors: Xukai ZOU, Xianyan CHEN, Hongling ZENG, Tong CUI, Qiang ZHANG
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 2020-01-01
• Series: Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters
• Subjects: the three gorges region of the yangtze river; climate summary; weather and climate events
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/16742834.2020.1693879
• ISSN: 1674-2834; 2376-6123

This report provides a summary of the climate, as well as the major weather and climate events, over the Three Gorges Region of the Yangtze River (TGR) in 2018. The annual mean temperature over the TGR in 2018 was 0.2°C above normal, and precipitation was near normal. Seasonal highlights included a second warmest spring in the 58-year period of records, with abundant rainfall, which resulted in the wettest March on record. Furthermore, this was the fourth-warmest summer on record in the TGR, which contributed a higher-than-normal number of hot days in 2018. Precipitation was 17% and 30% less-than-normal in winter and summer, and 40% and 6% above average in spring and autumn, respectively. The annual mean wind speed in the TGR was higher than normal, and the annual mean relative humidity was near normal. The intensity of acid rain was relatively weak, being the second-weakest year since 1999. The major meteorological disaster types in the TGR include heat waves, drought, rainstorms and flooding, freezing rain, and snow. Heat waves occurred early in the summer and persisted for long durations with strong intensities. Long-term precipitation deficits resulted in drought conditions in summer 2018 across most regions of the TGR. Frequent heavy rainfall caused urban waterlogging. The early-year and late-year cold snaps were accompanied by heavy snowfall and rain over some locations across the TGR, which had adverse impacts on transportation, agriculture, electricity, and people’s lives.