Seasonal evolution of atmospheric and land surface conditions around the Huaihe River Basin in China in the pre-Meiyu stage of 1998

　Seasonal evolution of atmospheric and land surface conditions around the Huaihe River Basin in China in the pre-Meiyu stage of 1998 were examined, mainly based on the GAME re-analysis data. Around the Huaihe River Basin in China (just to the nront of the Changjiang River Basin), although the air temperature increased rapidly already in early June (the Meuyu front was located to the south of that region), the specific humidity did not increas so much at time. In addition, the latent heat supplied from the ground there decreased from late May to early June, compared to that before early May. The time mean southerly wind component across the low-level baroclinic Zone (although not so strong as in the mature stage of the Meiyu) invaded into Central Cjina during late April to early May. On the other hand, the relatively strong wind region once retreated southward in the middle of May associated with the onset of the Southeast Asian monsoon, and the calm wind region with frequent appearance of the surface high was seen around the Huaihe River Basin from late May to early June. Thus the present study shows that the Huaihe River Basin once experiences the rather drier stage just before the onset stage of the mature Meiyu there.