Xu et al. (2026) The Impact of Urbanization on Tropical Cyclone Rainfall Over Complex Coastal Terrain

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-08-24
• Authors: Fanyu Xu, Huiling Yuan
• DOI: 10.1029/2026jd046493

Research Groups

• Department of Atmospheric Science, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
• State Key Laboratory of Hydroscience and Engineering, Tsinghua University, China

Short Summary

This study investigates how coastal urbanization affects tropical cyclone (TC) rainfall in the Yongjiang River basin, China, using numerical modeling. The results show that urbanization intensifies TC rainfall downwind of urban areas.

Objective

• Investigate the impact of coastal urbanization on land-atmosphere interactions and TC rainfall in the Yongjiang River basin, China.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Regional scale (Yongjiang River basin)
• Temporal Scale: Event-based analysis of two tropical cyclones (Lekima 2019 and In-fa 2021)

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model
• Data sources: Historical and future land use scenarios derived from Shared Socioeconomic Pathways–Representative Concentration Pathways (SSP-RCP)

Main Results

• Urbanization enhances TC precipitation downwind of urban areas and in the mountainous region.
• Urban-induced warming and increased surface roughness strengthen low-to mid-level convergence and ascent, and enhance moisture and equivalent potential temperature.

Contributions

• This study provides quantitative evidence for the role of coastal urbanization in intensifying TC rainfall in coastal regions.
• The results highlight the importance of accounting for urban expansion in flood and disaster planning.

Funding

• National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51809261)
• National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2018YFC1504201)

Citation

@article{Xu2026Impact,
  author = {Xu, Fanyu and Yuan, Huiling},
  title = {The Impact of Urbanization on Tropical Cyclone Rainfall Over Complex Coastal Terrain},
  journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1029/2026jd046493},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1029/2026jd046493}
}