A global dynamics perspective on midsummer drying near subtropical ocean basins

Warm season precipitation on the western edge of subtropical ocean basins is characterized by a bimodal distribution with early and late summer peaks. The distinct mid-summer drying (“mid-summer drought”) is a salient feature of the annual cycle and is intimately tied to global scale atmospheric dynamics. Lending on observations and modeling work, we examine how subtropical rainfall climatologies in both hemispheres are shaped by subtle, yet significant changes in the global circulation and the mean zonal wind.