Abstract:Based on the Meiyu criterion provided by China Meteorological Administration,the daily meteorological data of Meiyu from 661 conventional stations in China during the period of 1960—2016, and the monthly mean reanalysis data of NCEP/NCAR,the spatial and temporal characteristics of Meiyu and the variation of the East Asian subtropical summer monsoon process were analyzed;the key monsoon areas (32°—34°N, 112°—120°E, including 17 stations)are extracted, and the relationship between key monsoon areas and Meiyu and their causes of formation are analyzed.The results show that the average Meiyu period during the period of 1960—2016 lasted from June 8 to July 15, and the average precipitation is 303 mm.The average onset time of the Meiyu period is nine days earlier than that in the East Asia, and the end time of the Meiyu period is seven days later than that in the East Asia.The precipitation in the Meiyu period has fluctuated in the past 57 years, but shows a rising trend on the whole. An earlier start of Meiyu season is always followed by a later end, and a longer Meiyu period means more precipitation.The average time for the subtropical summer monsoon to advance to the key area is May 19. The subtropical summer monsoon suddenly changed from early arrival to late arrival, and from late arrival to early arrival in the late 1970s and late 1990s, respectively.When the summer monsoon arrives at the key area early, the Meiyu period will end late, accompanied with a large amount of precipitation.When the summer monsoon arrives at the key area late, the Meiyu period will end early, accompanied with less precipitation.The subtropical summer monsoon and the Meiyu precipitation are consistently negatively correlated with the whole region, and the negative correlation center is at the junction of Hunan, Hubei and Jiangxi.The East Asian subtropical summer monsoon arrives at the key area early (late), the Ural Mountains-Okhotsk Sea is positive (negative) anomalies at the level of 500 hPa, and the blocking high pressure is enhanced (weakened).The pressure anomaly near the Sea of Japan is negative (positive), the East Asian deep trough is strengthened(weakened), which strengthens (weakens) the cold air that is transported southward after the trough and is (not) beneficial to the northward jump of the mid-low latitude subtropical high.The West Pacific subtropical high-pressure center is strengthened (weakened), and moves westward (eastward). The southwestern warm and humid airflow at the northwestern side is strengthened (weakened), and water vapor converges(diverges) at the Yangtze-Huaihe Region, which is (not) conducive to the increase of precipitation.