Thunderstorms in Tropics Can Predict Heatwaves in California
When heavy rain falls over the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia and the eastern Pacific Ocean temperatures in California's Central Valley will reach 100 F (38 C) in 4 to 16 days, according to a collaborative research team from UC Davis, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Climate Center in Busan, South Korea. Researchers, including UC Davis Department of Land, Air and Water Resources professor Richard Grotjahn, were able to link the heat waves to the phases of a large, traveling atmospheric circulation pattern called the Madden-Julian Oscillation, or MJO. Series: "UCTV Prime" [Science] [Show ID: 35169]