Heavy rain in the south and cold weather in the north, what’s wrong with the weather in May?

Heavy rainfall has continued in the south in recent days, with many places in Guangdong experiencing heavy or extremely heavy rain, and some areas experiencing rainfall exceeding the 50-year high. Compared with the south, the north has recently experienced a "beginning of summer cold", with temperatures in Shanxi, Hebei, Inner Mongolia and other places likely to hit a new low in the same period in the past 30 years in the next few days.

Many parts of the country experienced the coldest early May since historical records began

Many parts of our country are experiencing the "coolest early summer".

After the beginning of summer, northern my country experienced a rare coolness in May. The highest temperatures in some places in North China, Shandong, Henan and other places even broke the historical lowest records for the same period.

According to the Central Meteorological Observatory, in previous years, cold air rarely crossed the Yangtze River in mid-May, and even if it crossed the Yangtze River, it would basically not cross the Nanling Mountains. However, this time, the continental cold air mass went all the way south to the central South China Sea in mid-May, and even went southwest across Yunnan and directly to Myanmar. This is not only abnormal in May, but also very rare in winter when cold air is strong.

The Central Meteorological Observatory forecast shows that on May 13, the temperature in Gansu, Yinchuan, Shaanxi and other places will drop to the lowest point of this process. The highest temperature in some places in eastern Inner Mongolia will also drop below 15℃, and the lowest temperature will only be in the single digit. On the 14th, as the main body of cold air moves south, parts of Chongqing and Sichuan will also experience low temperatures rarely seen in the same period in mid-May. On the 15th, the main body of cold air arrived in the south of the Yangtze River, and the highest temperatures in Guizhou, northern Hunan, northern Jiangxi and Zhejiang were generally less than 15℃.

It is expected that in the next week, the temperature in the north will gradually return to normal due to the weakening of cold air and more sunny days, but the low temperature in the south will continue and may even worsen further.

How long will this round of heavy rainfall in South China last?

The south is experiencing the heaviest rainfall since the beginning of the flood season.

According to the China Meteorological Administration, the heaviest rainfall in the south since the beginning of the flood season this year has begun, with heavy rain and torrential rain in Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Zhejiang, Yunnan, Sichuan and other places, and extremely heavy rain in some areas. At 10 a.m. on the 13th, the Central Meteorological Observatory continued to issue a yellow warning for heavy rain.

Wang Weiyue, a meteorological analyst at China Weather Net, explained that due to the continuous influx of warm and humid air currents from the Bay of Bengal and the South China Sea, the low vortex and the eastward movement of the high-altitude trough provided the dynamic conditions for precipitation, and finally, the rare strong cold air in the same period moved southward, a variety of factors together caused heavy rainfall to linger in southern China.

What's next?

Experts from the Central Meteorological Observatory analyzed that in the next three days, the scope of heavy rainfall in South China will gradually shrink and the intensity will weaken, but there will still be heavy rain to torrential rain in the coastal areas of South China. Affected by the cold air, on May 13 and 14, parts of southern and eastern Sichuan, southern Shaanxi, central and western Chongqing, northern and eastern Yunnan, and northern Guizhou will have heavy rain or torrential rain. After the 15th, the heavy rainfall process will basically end, and most of South China will turn to cloudy or light rain weather.

Experts warn that although the rainfall in South China has significantly weakened, the rain in coastal areas is still heavy. The public needs to pay attention to urban and rural waterlogging, landslides, mountain torrents and other disasters that may be caused by strong convective weather such as heavy rainfall and short-term heavy rainfall. Stay away from areas with high risks of meteorological disasters and pay attention to safety.

Comprehensive sources: Xinhuanet, China Meteorological Network, Science Popularization China, etc.