Observational Analysis of a Southwest Vortex-Induced Severe Rainfall Event Triggering Fatal Landslides over Southwest China in 2024

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Abstract
In July 2024, a severe rainfall event struck Sichuan Province, Southwest China, triggering deadly landslides and causing significant societal impacts. This study investigates the spatiotemporal characteristics and underlying mechanisms of the event using high-resolution surface observations, radar reflectivity, and ERA5 reanalysis data. The rainfall exhibited distinct mesoscale organization, with two primary precipitation centers identified: subregion A located within the plateau-lain transitional zone of the western Sichuan Basin, and subregion B situated over the Chengdu Plain. Synoptic-scale analysis indicated that the rainfall developed under favorable large-scale atmospheric conditions, including a mid-tropospheric trough, a pronounced low-level jet, and a well-defined Southwest Vortex (SWV), which is a dominant lower-tropospheric circulation system in this region. The evolution of rainfall was closely tied to the initiation and subsequent eastward progression of the SWV. The rainfall-producing mesoscale convective system (MCS) first formed over subregion A at approximately 2300 BST (UTC + 8) on 19 July. Vorticity budget diagnostics revealed that vertical advection and low-level convergence significantly contributed to vortex intensification during this initial phase, closely associated with the orographic lifting of low-level airflow. Convective activity in subregion B commenced roughly four hours later, coinciding with the eastward propagation of the SWV, during which horizontal vorticity advection became the primary mechanism sustaining the vortex. After 1400 BST on 20 July, the SWV weakened significantly, leading to the dissipation of the MCS and the cessation of rainfall.
Funding Information
  • Natural Science Foundation of Sichuan Province (2024NSFSC0776)
  • Yunnan Fundamental Research Projects (202501AT070383)
  • the Open Fund Project of Key Laboratory of Intelligent Meteorological Observation Technology, China Meteorological Administration (ZNGC2024ZD12)
  • the Open Project Fund of the China Meteorological Administration Basin Heavy Rainfall Key Laboratory (2023BHR-Y08)
  • the Clinical Science Research Fund of Chengdu Medical College and Ya’an People’s Hospital (24LHXX1-09)

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