Abstract:By using Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) analysis with observational and reanalysis data,this paper found that the Arctic Oscillation (AO) is the leading mode of the preceeding winter atmospheric circulation variations in the Northern Hemisphere mid-to-high latitude that significantly affacts the interannual anomalies of summer precipitation in China.In general,AO matures in winter,decays in spring,and turns into an opposite phase in summer.AO tends to cause a tripole pattern of summer precipitation anomalies in North China,Northeast China,the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River,and South China.Corresponding to a positive phase of AO,an anomalous atmospheric cyclone prevailing over the Yellow Sea and the Japan Sea makes an anomalous northeasterly moisture flux divergence over northern China,causing negative precipitation anomalies there.Meanwhile,the anomalous atmospheric cyclone is accompanied by an anomalous atmospheric anticyclone over Northwest Pacific Ocean,causing an anomalous moisture flux convergence over middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River valley and thus positive precipitation anomalies there.In addition,the anomalous atmospheric anticyclone over Northwest Pacific Ocean also makes an anomalous southwesterly moisture flux divergence over southern China,causing negative precipitation anomalies there.Therefore,the relationship between the tripole pattern of China summer precipitation anomalies and the preceding winter AO found in this study offers a crucial mid-to-high latitude predictor for pratical prediction of flood/drought in China.