New study reveals contribution of mesoscale convective systems to floods in East Asia

East Asia frequently faces floods, leading to significant economic losses, casualties, and agricultural damage. Most summer floods in this region are caused by excessive rainfall. Mesoscale convective systems (MCS), large organized storms characterized by cumulonimbus clouds, play a significant role in these events. MCSs typically produce intense, concentrated, and long-lasting rainfall, which can trigger floods. Despite this, their contribution to major flood events in East Asia has received relatively little attention, largely due to a research gap between meteorology and hydrology fields. As a result, the quantitative relationship between MCS and major flood events at the climate scale has not been well established.