Modulations of local rainfall in Northeast Australia associated with the Madden Julian Oscillation during austral summer

Abstract

This study investigates the role of the interaction between the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) and local-scale forcings in regulating precipitation and its diurnal variation during the austral summer over coastal areas in northeast (NE) Australia using radar data. The variation of rainfall is influenced by both large-scale and local-scale forcings. During the enhanced convection phases of the MJO, widespread increased rainfall signals are generated by large-scale forcings associated with the MJO, but the environmental factors controlling the type and amount of precipitation during each phase are different. By contrast, the locally enhanced rainfall during suppressed convection phases of the..