The Impact of the 500-hPa High over the Tibetan Plateau on the Heat Wave in the Eastern Part of Sichuan-Chongqing Area

The impact of the 500-hPa high over the Tibetan Plateau (the 500-hPa high for short) on the heat wave in the eastern part of Sichuan-Chongqing area was studied on the basis of case study and composite circulation anomaly evolution. According to its impact on the heat wave, there are two types of the 500-hPa high. One type dominates over the western and northern parts of the Tibetan Plateau, leading to the northwesterlies prevailing over the northeastern and eastern parts of the Tibetan Plateau, and favoring the heat wave in the eastern part of Sichuan-Chongqing area. Another type is caused by the subtropical high over the western Pacific. As the subtropical high extends westward on the Tibetan Plateau, the 500hPa high forms, and heat wave strikes the areas along the Changjiang River including the eastern part of Sichuan-Chongqing area. As the subtropical high moves eastward, the 500-hPa high still affects the eastern part of Sichuan-Chongqing area. Thus, the heat wave in the eastern part of Sichuan-Chongqing area lasts while the heat wave in the middle and low branch of the Changjiang River ends.